[00:00:04]
[Call to Order]
I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER.UH, FIRST THING I'M GONNA DO IS CALL THE ROLL.
UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON HERE.
UM, FIRST WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA THE, UM, THE MINUTES THERE.
ANY COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK ON THE MINUTES? OKAY.
I'M GOING GO AHEAD AND GO OVER
[Consent Agenda]
THE CONSENT AGENDA.SO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, IT'S A REZONING C 14 20 22 0 49, 500 VFW ROAD DISTRICT ONE.
IT'S S P 20 22 0 9 5 CX MAYNOR ISD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, NUMBER 10.
UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS A SITE PLAN 20 21 0 4 6 3 C COLONY PARK DISTRICT AQUATIC FACILITY ITEM SIX C 8 20 22 0 2 5 7 0 A REGIME, SUBDIVISION.
AND ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS A CODE AMENDMENT OF C 20 20 21 0 14 PROJECT CONNECT.
AND I WILL BE RECUSING MYSELF FROM THAT ITEM.
AND COMMISSIONER DINKLER WILL BE, UM, MANAGING THAT PORTION OF THE MEETING.
UM, SO THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ONE, THE ITEMS THREE THROUGH SIX, AND THAT'S IT.
WE'LL BE DISCUSSING ITEMS TWO AND SEVEN.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? YES.
COMMISSIONER KING, UH, CHAIR ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE SHOW ME VOTING NO ON THAT ITEM.
UH, AND I'M VOTING NO BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THE REMOVAL OF THE CON, THE, UH, THE CO THAT LIMITS THE, THE TRAFFIC THERE AND, UH, THAT ROAD IS SUBSTANDARD.
SO I'M VOTING NO ON THAT ITEM.
IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? UM, FROM COMMISSIONER DINGLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SMITH.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AND WITH MYSELF, RECUSING ITEM SEVEN AND COMMISSIONER KING, VOTING NO ON ITEM THREE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO AND THAT, AND THAT IS MS. RHODES, UH, CHAIR COMMISSION.
I'M, I NEED TO, UM, SEE IF, UH, WE HAVE A SPEAKER ON THE LINE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
AND COMMISSIONER WOODY HAS, UH, JOINED US.
LEEANN, I DO NOT HAVE THE, UH, PUBLIC PARTICIPANT, UH, UH, AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT IF THEY COULD RESERVE THEIR TIME LATER IN THE EVENING IF THEY, UH, ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
[2. Rezoning: C14-2022-0077 - 220 Ralph Ablanedo Rezoning; District 2]
GOOD EVENING, MADAM.I'M SHARON COMMISSION MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS WENDY RHODES WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS CASE C 14 20 22 0 0 77 AT 22.
THE PROPERTY IS DEVELOPED WITH A CONSTRUCTION SALES AND SERVICES USE, AND LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF PEACEFUL HILL LANE AND RALPH ALAN NATO DRIVE ACCESS IS CURRENTLY TWO RALPH ALAN NATO DRIVE.
UH, AND THERE IS A, UH, SIX FOOT CONCRETE WALL ALONG THE ENTIRE PEACEFUL HILL FRONTAGE IN MID 2005.
THIS PROPERTY, UH, WAS REZONED TO THE, TO TWO DISTRICTS, A CSCO ALONG THE PEACEFUL HILL FRONTAGE AND L I C O FOR THE REMAINDER AND, AND THE MAJORITY.
THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, LIMITED PRO LIMITED VEHICLE TRIPS AT 300 PER DAY AND PROHIBITED BASIC INDUSTRY AND RESOURCE EXTRACTION AND LIMITED HEIGHT TO 35 FEET ON THE PEACEFUL HILL FRONTAGE.
THE AREA CO CONTAINS A MIXTURE OF RESIDENTIAL INTENSIVE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES.
UH, THERE IS A, UH, TWO LIGHT MANUFACTURING USES TO THE NORTH AS WELL AS A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION FURTHER NORTH AND EAST.
[00:05:02]
AND, UH, ACROSS PEACEFUL HILL TO THE WEST, THERE IS A, A, A LANDSCAPING COMPANY, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, MANUFACTURED HOMES, AND UNDEVELOPED LAND.THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO REZONE THE TRACK TO THE CSCO DISTRICT.
THEY WOULD ARE PROPOSING TO CONSTRUCT A 27,000 SQUARE FOOT ROCK CLIMBING GYM, WHICH IS A PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT SERVICES USE, AND UP TO 4,000 SQUARE FEET OF GENERAL RETAIL USES THE APPLICANTS, UH, CAN REQUESTED CONDITIONAL OVERLAY IS TO RETAIN THE 35 FOOT HEIGHT LIMIT ALONG THE WEST 35 FEET OF THE PROPERTY LIMIT HEIGHT TO 50 FEET ON THE REMAINDER OF THE PROPERTY.
AND, UH, BOTH ACCESS ACCESS TO BOTH BE TO RALPH, PA, NATO, AND PEACEFUL HILL IS PROPOSED.
AND THAT, UM, THIS REZONING CASE DID RESULT IN THE NEED TO PREPARE A NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS.
AND WE DO HAVE, UH, ATD STAFF IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.
UH, THIS AREA IS UNDERGOING A, A ZONING A CHANGE IN TERMS OF LAND USE AND ACCESS UNTIL, UM, LATE 2005.
THIS AREA INCLUDED A MIX OF INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL USES.
AND, UH, SINCE THAT TIME HAS EXPERIENCED SOME TRANSITION TO FEWER INDUSTRIAL USES AND MORE ACTIVE, UH, COMMERCIAL USES AND DENSER RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
UH, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THIS CASE, THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSAL FOR PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT SERVICES AND RETAIL USE WOULD INTRODUCE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF COMMERCIAL USE TO THIS AREA AND WOULD BE SERVED BY THE ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS PROPERTY IS WITHIN FOUR TENTHS OF, OF THE I H 35 FRONTAGE ROAD.
UH, THEY PROPOSED CONDITIONAL OVERLAY PROHIBITS MOST OF THE, UH, THE MOST INTENSIVE CS USES.
IT REQUIRES A 35 A, A 30 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER ALONG THE EAST AND WEST PROPERTY LINES WHERE IT IS ADJACENT TO SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES.
AND THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS CALLS FOR UPGRADING THE PROPERTY OWN PROPERTIES, FRONTAGE ON PEACEFUL HILL AND RALPH ALAN NADO TO URBAN STANDARDS, WHICH INCLUDE CURB, GUTTER, SIDEWALK, AND BICYCLE FACILITIES.
SO, WITH THAT, UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS DETAILED ON PAGE ONE OF THE REPORT.
UH, AND, AND I JUST PROVIDED A SUMMARY FOR THAT.
AND YES, THE, THE APPLICANT IS HERE TONIGHT AND, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM PARKRIDGE, PARKRIDGE GARDENS AND PEACEFUL HILL ARE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL.
WHEN I HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT, MS. BROWN, MS. BROWN, YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES.
WE'LL PROVIDE YOUR PRESENTATION.
MY NAME IS AMANDA BROWN HERE REPRESENTING THE PROPERTY, CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER AND HOPEFUL DEVELOPER OF THIS PROPERTY, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 2020.
UM, RALPH ADO, UM, THE, UH, SORRY, WANNA WAIT FOR MY PRESENTATION TO COME UP, IF THAT'S OKAY? OKAY, THANK YOU.
IT'S RIGHT THERE AT THE HARD CORNER OF PEACEFUL HILL AND RALPH ADO, IT'S ABOUT FOUR ACRES IN SIZE, UM, YOU CAN SEE TO, UH, TO THE EAST IS THE PARKRIDGE GARDENS NEIGHBORHOOD.
TO THE SOUTH IS THE, UM, PARKRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AN AUTO REPAIR STORE ACROSS THE STREET TO THE WEST IS A LANDSCAPING COMPANY.
AND, UM, UP TO THE NORTH IS, UM, SO INDUSTRIAL USES, UM, I, I THINK IT'S A SCRAP, SCRAP METAL BUSINESS OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
UH, TO ORIENT YOU KIND OF IN A BIGGER PICTURE WHERE THE SIDE IS.
SO WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH THREE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
THERE'S THE, UM, PEACEFUL HILL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION UP THERE TO THE NORTH PARKRIDGE GARDENS AND PARK RIDGE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE OUR PROXIMITY TO, UM, IH 35 AND SOUTH CONGRESS ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS HAVE ALSO SHOWN WHERE THE B R T LINE IS AND PROXIMITY TO THE SOUTH PARK, SOUTH PARK MEADOWS TRANSIT STATION.
THIS IS THE EXISTING ZONING, UH, THAT WENDY KIND OF ALREADY TOUCHED ON.
SO IT'S TWO TRACKS, UM, TRACKED.
ONE IS, UH, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL CO.
AND TRACK TWO IS, UM, COMMERCIAL SERVICES CO, BOTH WITH A TRIP LIMIT OF 300 VEHICLE TRIPS PER DAY, WHICH IS REALLY THE, UM, ORIGINAL REASONING FOR THIS REZONING IS TO LIFT THAT TRIP LIMIT.
UM, ON TRACK TWO, THERE IS A MAX HEIGHT OF 35 FEET CURRENTLY
[00:10:01]
IN PLACE, UM, WITH OUR NEW PROPOSAL WORK PROPOSING TO KEEP THAT IN PLACE AS WELL.UM, OUR PROPOSED ZONING ORIGINALLY WAS GONNA BE TO JUST LIFT THAT CO BUT AFTER WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WORKING WITH STAFF, UM, IT WAS GONNA BE RECOMMENDED TO DOWN ZONE THE PROPERTY FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO, UM, TO CS, AND WE WERE OKAY WITH DOING THAT.
UM, SO NOW WE'LL BE DOING THE ENTIRE TRACT IN CS C S C, UM, WITH, UM, SOME ASSOCIATED CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS, UM, AND RESTRICTIONS THAT, UM, I'LL BE GETTING INTO AS WELL.
SO THESE ARE EXISTING CONDITIONS OF THE SITE.
UH, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE A LITTLE BIT.
IT USED TO BE A, A JUNKYARD, AND I THINK IT WAS A LANDSCAPING COMPANY AT SOME POINT.
IT'S ALMOST 100% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
THERE IS NO DRAINAGE, NO WATER QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE SITE CURRENTLY.
SO THE NEIGHBORS DIRECTLY TO THE EAST ARE HAVING SOME PRETTY, UM, BIG ISSUES WITH, WITH FLOODING OVER THERE.
SO JUST BY VIRTUE OF THIS SITE REDEVELOPING, WE'LL BE PUTTING IN PLACE, UM, WATER QUALITY, UH, DRAINAGE PONDS UP TO ATLAS 14 STANDARDS, UM, AND ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT'S CURRENTLY OUT THERE.
UM, ALONG THE PROPERTY YOU CAN SEE A SMALL PICTURE AND THERE IS ACTUALLY A SCHOOL BUS STOP ON ROTH LADO WHERE KIDS WAIT FOR THEIR BUS STOP.
THIS IS JUST A CLOSER UP IMAGE OF THAT.
UM, THIS IS THE WAY THE SITE FLOWS.
I'M GONNA KIND OF FLY THROUGH SOME OF THESE.
UM, SO THIS IS A DRAFT CONCEPTUAL PLAN.
WE HAVE NOT ENGINEERED THIS SITE AT ALL.
UM, BUT, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE INTEND GENERALLY TO BUILD.
YOU CAN SEE OUR DETENTION BOND POND OVER THERE TO, UM, THE EAST OF THE PROPERTY.
THAT'S WHERE THE, THE SITE NATURALLY FLOWS.
IT'S ALSO A REALLY GREAT BUFFER BETWEEN OUR BUILDING AND THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO HAVE PLENTY OF PARKING, SO NOBODY'S PARKING ON PEACEFUL HILL OR ROTH ADO OR ANY OF THE NEIGHBORING STREETS.
UM, THE LARGER BUILDING YOU CAN SEE IS, UH, IS THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, WHICH IS THE CRUX CLIMBING GYM.
UM, A COUPLE THINGS THAT YOU'LL NOTICE ABOUT THAT IS THAT THERE ARE VARIOUS HEIGHTS ON THE BUILDING.
UM, AT THE TOP THERE'S 30 AND THEN THERE'S 35, UM, THERE'S 44 FEET, AND THEN ONE SMALL PORTION OF THE BUILDING IS 50 FEET IN HEIGHT.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS, IS TWOFOLD.
THE FIRST IS TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT AND HAVE DIFFERENT CLIMBING EXPERIENCES.
AND I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS, BUT HAVING DIFFERENT CLIMBING EXPERIENCES, ONE WITH A TALLER WALL, UM, SOME BOULDERING THAT NEEDS SHORTER WALLS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND SO THE 50 FOOT TALL SECTION IS ONLY 22% OF OUR BUILDING.
THE SECOND REASON FOR THE VARYING HEIGHTS IS REALLY FOR ARCHITECTURAL INTENT.
UM, HAVING DIFFERENT HEIGHTS KIND OF CREATES A MUCH NICER, UH, ROOF LINE WHERE YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT THIS BIG IMPOSING BUILDING.
IT'LL BE WELL, WELL ARTICULATED AND, AND VERY BEAUTIFUL.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED, UH, WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THE ACCESSORY BUILDING.
SO THAT'S INTENDED TO BE A VERY, VERY SMALL SCALE RETAIL COMPONENT THAT IS, UM, ACCESSORY TO THE CLIMBING GYM.
SO, UM, IT IS CURRENTLY DESIGNED AS 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND THE INTENT IS FOR THOSE TO BE, UM, COMPLIMENTARY BUSINESSES WHERE SOMEBODY CAN GO FROM THE CLIMBING GYM AND THEN GO GET A SMOOTHIE OR GET A COFFEE OR HAVE A PHYSICAL THERAPY APPOINTMENT, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, CRUX IS NOT JUST A CLIMBING GYM AND THE OWNERS ARE HERE AND THEY CAN TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, IT REALLY IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND HANG OUT AND BRING THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY'VE GOT PROGRAMMING AND KIDS' PROGRAMS AND WANNA BE ABLE TO MEET.
UH, WANT BE ABLE TO MEET, UM, THE ENTRIES TO ALL OF THOSE RETAIL, UM, BUSINESSES ARE ON THAT INTERIOR COURTYARD.
THERE'S NOT GONNA BE BIG SIGNAGE OR BIG MONUMENT SIGN ON RALPH NATO.
THEY REALLY ARE TRULY INTENDED TO BE, UM, UH, SHARING THE SAME CUSTOMERS LIKE THREE MORE MINUTES.
UM, THE GIST OF THIS IS THAT WE ARE GREATLY EXCEEDING COMPATIBILITY.
UM, IT'S TRIGGERED PRIMARILY FROM THE EAST, A LITTLE FROM THE SOUTH AND FROM THE NORTH.
UM, WE ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED OUR BUILDING FAR OFF OF FROM THE EAST TO HAVE PLENTY OF COMPATIBILITY.
WE'RE WAY UNDER ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
ONE THAT I WANNA POINT OUT IS 50 FEET.
OUR FAR ALLOWED AS TWO TO ONE WE'RE 1.15 TO ONE.
UM, UH, NTA WE'RE GENERATING 658 TRIPS.
UM, WE ORIGINALLY HAD PROPOSED TO STAFF TO LIMIT TO, TO OUR TRIPS PER A CO.
THEY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT, BUT IF SAP WANTS TO CONDITION THIS TO LIMIT IT TO A THOUSAND VEHICLE TRIPS PER DAY, WE ARE CERTAINLY OPEN TO THAT.
[00:15:01]
RETAIL, UM, THE NTA, UH, IS GONNA REQUIRE US TO UPGRADE TO LEVEL TWO STREETS.UM, ADDITION TO ALL THE STANDARD TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED, WE'VE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD SEVEN TIMES, UM, MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, SO THIS IS AN OUTLINE OF OUR CONDITIONAL OVERLAYS AND RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS.
WE'VE GOT LANDSCAPE BUFFERS ON EACH SIDE, LIMITING THE ENTIRE TRACT TO 50 FEET IN HEIGHT, AND THEN 35 FEET IN HEIGHT RIGHT ALONG PEACEFUL HILL.
UM, THESE ARE OUR PROHIBITED USES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
WE HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS IN A PRIVATE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, UM, THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO PROHIBIT OUTDOOR EVENT PERMIT.
NO WINDOWS ABOVE THE FIRST FLOOR ON THE EASTERN FACING BUILDING.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A ROCK CLIMBING WALL.
WE DON'T NEED TO, NOBODY'S GONNA BE UP THERE.
UM, SHADE TREES IN THE LANDSCAPE BUFFER.
AND THEN THEY HAVE A POCKET PARK IN PARKRIDGE GARDENS THAT WE'VE AGREED TO PLANT SOME TREES AND BENCHES.
UM, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE OUR ENGINEER ON THE LINE AS WELL, IF YOU'LL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, I WASN'T ABLE TO HEAR CLEARLY, BUT IF WE GAVE, UH, THE APPLICANT MORE TIME, THEN I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, THE, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO HAS MORE TIME TO COMMENT AS WELL.
YES, AND I THINK ONE THING THAT HAPPENED IS SHE WAS KIND OF STRUGGLING IN THE BEGINNING TO GET HER PRESENTATION GOING.
SO I WAS THINKING THAT SHE COULD HAVE JUST FINISH OUT HER SLIDES, BUT I WAS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD, YOU COULDN'T SEE ME, BUT I WAS TRYING TO GET HER TO HURRY UP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EQUITABLE WITH OUR TIME WITH THE NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE SHOWN UP COMMENT AND THE APPLICANT CHAIR COMMISSION LADIES LIAISON.
AND THE CLOCK WAS ACCIDENTALLY SET FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN THE APPLICANT SHOULD HAVE SEX.
SO THAT WAS, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, AND NOW WE'LL HEAR, UH, FOR MS. GRACE NECKLACE.
MS. NECKLACE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
WHEN DOES IT START? IS IT NOW? OKAY.
UM, I'M BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I'VE LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE AND I AM THE HEAD OF OPERATIONS OF CROX CLIMBING CENTER.
I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE THE BEGINNING WHEN WE STARTED IN 2016 WITH A LOCATION IN SOUTH AUSTIN, MUCH LIKE THIS ONE, IT WAS OFF SOUTH CONGRESS IN BETWEEN SOME RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACES.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED CRUX CLIMBING CENTER, WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT NAMING IT A CENTER BECAUSE WE WANTED IT TO BE MORE THAN A GYM WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO GO TO WORK OUT OR TRAIN OR WHATNOT.
WE WANTED PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY WANTED TO GO THERE.
AND, UM, SO WE'VE DONE A LOT TO TRY AND FOSTER THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY AT OUR SPACE.
BEYOND OFFERING THE CLIMBING AND THE YOGA AND FITNESS, UM, WE DO OFFER A LOT OF, UM, OTHER THINGS.
UM, SO WE HAVE A BETA PROGRAM, WHICH WORKS WITH ADAPTIVE CLIMBING.
BETA FROM BABES IS A WOMAN'S CLIMB NIGHT.
WE DO YOUTH PROGRAMS AFTER SCHOOL, UH, COMPETITIVE CLIMBING FOR OUR YOUTH CAMPS, BOULDER LEAGUES FAMILY FUN DAY MAKES CLIMBING ACCESSIBLE FOR FAMILIES BY OFFERING IT FOR FREE OR A LOW COST.
WE DO MONTHLY MEMBER APPRECIATION NIGHTS TO ALLOW SMALL BUSINESSES TO FEATURE THEIR SERVICES, BUT IT'S ALSO A TIME FOR ALL OF OUR CLIMBERS TO GET TOGETHER AND HANG OUT.
UM, BEYOND THAT, OUR SPACE HAS BEEN USED FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF FUNDRAISERS MATCHING CAMPAIGNS, OUR PERCENT OF SALES FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
WE WERE A WARMING HOUSE DURING THE FREEZE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOL CLUBS MEET AT CRUX.
UM, WE'VE SPONSORED KIDS AT FOSTER ANGELS DURING THE CHRISTMAS TIME.
AND THEN WE ALSO DONATE TO A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS.
THIS IS WHO WE WORKED WITH IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
UM, BUT PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY THAT NEEDS SOMETHING, WE DEFINITELY TRY AND HOOK THEM UP WITH THEIR, UH, SILENT AUCTIONS.
UM, BUT BASICALLY WE MADE IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND OUR LANDLORD APPROACHED US, UH, AND SAID, FOUND A LITTLE LOOPHOLE AND OUR LEASE EXPLOITED THAT AND RAISED OUR RENT.
SO WE'RE NOT SURE IF OUR CURRENT LOCATION IS SUSTAINABLE, WHICH IS WHY WE WENT ON A SEARCH FOR ANOTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY.
WE FOUND THIS ONE, IT WAS REALLY HARD CUZ HEIGHT AND ZONING IS HARD TO FIND HERE.
UM, AND SO WE REALLY LIKED IT.
WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD ADD IN A SECOND BUSINESS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE OR LIKE SUSTAINABLE RENT FOR ANOTHER BUSINESS, LOCAL AUSTIN, LIKE US.
UM, AND THEN ONCE WE DID THAT, WE STARTED WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE FOUND THE REAL CRUX, PUN INTENDED OF THE WHOLE SITUATION WAS WORKING WITH THREE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ALL WENT TO SEE A DIFFERENT THING AT THIS SITE.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD.
WE HOPED THAT THIS 300 TRAFFIC COUNT DOESN'T KEEP US FROM BEING ABLE TO GO HERE.
I THINK HAVING A WELLNESS SITE HERE WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS AREA ON CONGRESS IS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY.
[00:20:02]
I SEE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND CONDOS GOING UP, A LOT OF THEM NOT HAVING LIKE, RESTRICTIONS OF THIS 300.SO, UM, YOU, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A BIG SITE TO HAVE THAT SMALL OF A RESTRICTION.
SO I HOPE THAT WE GET TO GO THERE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE LIKE A WELLNESS AND COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THIS AREA.
WHEN I HEAR FROM SIERRA HOLLOWAY, MS. HOLLOWAY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
SELECT STAR SIX, PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
I AM THE CIVIL ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT.
I AM REALLY JUST ON THE CALL TO ANSWER ANY ENGINEERING RELATED QUESTIONS IF THEY COME UP.
WE NOW HEAR FROM MR. JONATHAN SCHMID SCHMID, MR. SCHMIDT, IT'S, UH, SELECT STAR SIX.
HI, MY NAME IS JONATHAN SCHMID.
I AM A HOMEOWNER IN THE PEACE HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I ALSO RUN A BUSINESS OFF OF RALPH PAPA NATO.
HAVING A COMMUNITY FOCUSED CENTER LIKE CRUX IS THE BEST CASE SCENARIO FOR THIS PROPERTY FOR MY CHILDREN AND FOR MY EMPLOYEES.
OVER THE YEARS, CRU HAS BEEN THE CATALYST THAT'S MADE MY BUSINESS, UH, MORE COMMUNITY FOCUSED, AND I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
WHEN I'LL HEAR FROM MR. KEVIN GARIA.
MS, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO AMANDA GRACE FOR DOING SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB.
I'M NOT GONNA TAKE MY FULL THREE MINUTES.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I BELIEVE IN CRUX, AND AS WE'VE CONTINUED TO GROW, I'VE SEEN THE IMPACT, UH, THAT WE'VE HAD ON OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WONDERFUL MEMBERS, AND, UH, I JUST, I'M JUST GETTING A LITTLE TEARY BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE SO MUCH.
AND WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR LANDLORD RAISED OUR RENT, IT WAS HEARTBREAKING.
UM, IT, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED THAT WAY ON CHRISTMAS.
I SPENT MY TIME, UH, FIGHTING THIS WITH OUR LAWYERS.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED THIS WAY, BUT IT DID.
SO WHAT DID WE DO? WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GONNA TAKE OUR TIME AND MONEY AND GO FIND A SPOT THAT WAS GOING TO BE A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER FOR AUSTIN.
EVERY LOCATION THAT WE'VE OPENED HAS DONE THAT.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN BUSINESSES WITH US, OFFERED FAIR RENTS, AND OUR MEMBERS HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME.
I DON'T KNOW OF ONE MEMBER WHO WOULDN'T SUGGEST THIS, OR EVEN COMMUNITY MEMBER.
AND AT JUST A GOOD SPACE WHERE I WOULD WANT TO RAISE MY KIDS, I WOULD WANT TO TAKE MY GRANDPARENTS, I'D WANT TO TAKE MY NIECE AND NEPHEW.
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.
SO I'M NOT GONNA TAKE MY FULL THREE MINUTES.
BUT THIS SITE MEANS NOT A LOT, IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME, BUT IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT TIME, AND I'M DONE.
WE'RE NOT HEAR FROM MR. ARDEN GARRIS, FOLLOWED BY KRISTIN OLSON.
UM, NOW I'VE BEEN AN AVID ROCK CLIMBER FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS NOW.
UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU EVER TRIED ROCK CLIMBING, UH,
UH, IT TRULY IS SOMETHING FOR EVERY AGE, EVERY UH, SIZE ABILITY.
UM, IT'S JUST AN AMAZING, FUN, EXCITING WAY TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF PHYSICALLY, TO EXERCISE, UM, TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
UH, THAT'S WHY, UH, WHEN I CAME TO AUSTIN SIX YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS I DID WAS SEARCH FOR A LOCAL CLIMBING GYM.
UH, I WENT INTO CRUX FOR A CLIMBING WORKOUT, MAYBE A YOGA FITNESS CLASS, BUT IT WAS PRETTY IMMEDIATE THAT I DISCOVERED THIS PLACE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A CLIMBING BUSINESS.
UH, IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO DISCOVER WHAT CRUX IS ALL ABOUT.
AND SIMPLY PUT, CRUX IS A PLACE THAT TRULY ENHANCES THE COMMUNITY.
THEY PROVIDE A SAFE, COMFORTABLE, AND INCLUSIVE SPACE WITH SUCH A POSITIVE FOCUS ON PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH.
AND AS CRAZY AS THE WORLD IS BECOMING, I FEEL LOCAL COMMUNITIES NEED PLACES LIKE THIS MORE THAN EVER.
BESIDES ALL THE USUAL CLIMBING, YOGA AND FITNESS PROGRAMS I'VE WITNESSED CRUX DO SO MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF ITS WALLS.
THEY ORGANIZE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS, INCLUDING TRASH PICKUPS AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE AROUND THE LOCAL PARKS.
THEY RAISE FUNDS FOR CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT ALL DEMOGRAPHICS.
THEY HIRE PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY HAVE SOBER SOCIAL NIGHTS FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GET OUT AND MEET OTHERS WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ALCOHOL.
THEY HAVE SOCIAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, OLDER RETIRED FOLKS, WOMEN ONLY GROUPS, MINORITY GROUPS AND MORE.
THEY'VE HAD PARENTS NIGHTS TO GIVE PARENTS THOSE MUCH NEEDED BREAKS FOR A FEW HOURS
[00:25:01]
TO SOCIALIZE AND EXERCISE WHILE THE KIDS HAVE A GREAT TIME WITH TRAINED INSTRUCTORS.THERE'S SO MANY OTHER IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS OVER THE YEARS, AND YOU'VE BEEN HEARING A BUNCH FROM EVERYONE ELSE.
UH, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE PEOPLE OF CRUX ARE ACTUAL AUSTINITE, NOT SOME BIG CORPORATE BUSINESS BASED OUTTA STATE.
THEY UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY AND ALL THE CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING.
THEY LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY AND THEY SERVE THE COMMUNITY AS THEIR OWN FAMILY.
UH, I'M PROBABLY MOST IMPRESSED WITH CRUX, UH, GETTING INVOLVED DURING TIMES OF CRISIS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, DURING THE BIG FREEZE, THEY'VE OPENED THEIR DOORS AS A WARMING CENTER WHERE WHEN MOST PEOPLE HAD NO ELECTRICITY, THEY OPENED UP FREE SHOWERS TO SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS WHEN NOBODY HAD WATER, THEY OFFERED WATER REFILL STATIONS.
WHEN NEIGHBORHOODS COULDN'T GET CLEAN POTABLE WATER, THEY ACTED AS A STORM SHELTER.
DURING THE TORNADOES THEY GATHERED AND ORGANIZED DONATIONS FOR OTHER AREAS OF TEXAS THAT WERE HIT WITH CATASTROPHES.
THEY CLOSED THE DOORS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC WAY BEFORE IT WAS REQUIRED TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR STAFF, AND CONTINUED PAYING THEIR STAFF THE ENTIRE TIME THAT THEY WERE CLOSED.
FOR ALL THOSE MONTHS, THEIR FULL WAGES.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF SOCIAL, COMMUNITY HEALTH FOCUS CENTER THAT IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IF ANYONE IS UNSURE ABOUT THIS, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK TO ANYONE THAT HAS EXPERIENCED CRUX, UH, OR EVEN BETTER YET, GO VISIT THEM.
AND I'LL HEAR FROM KRISTEN NELSON.
HELLO, MY NAME IS KRISTEN OLSON.
I'M CURRENTLY A SUPERVISOR AT OUR, UM, SOUTH AUSTIN GYM, AND I PLAN TO BE A SUPERVISOR AT THIS NEW LOCATION.
AND I'M BORN AND RAISED TEXAN.
I'VE MOVED TO THIS AREA OF TEXAS, UH, ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO.
MY BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION IS IN RECREATION THERAPY OR THERAPEUTIC RECREATION.
AND COMING TO THIS AREA AND TRYING TO FIND MY OWN CAREER PATH, I REALLY WANTED TO ESTABLISH, UH, ACCESSIBLE CLIMBING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO BASICALLY ADAPTIVE CLIMBING.
UH, AND THANKFULLY I FOUND MY PLACE AT CRUX AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SO.
SO I STARTED OUR BETA PROGRAM, WHICH IS KNOWN AS BE EMPOWERED TO ASCENT, AND IT'S OUR ADAPTIVE CLIMBING PROGRAM TO SERVE PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES IN WHATEVER LEVEL THAT MIGHT BE.
SO VISIBLE, INVISIBLE, DOESN'T MATTER.
JUST PROVIDING INCLUSIVE SPACE FOR EVERYONE TO COME AND CLIMB.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON IS, YOU KNOW, CLARK'S BEING A PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND THAT AS A WHOLE, SO NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS THAT ARE COMING TO CLIMB, BUT FOR EVERYBODY.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S KIDS PROGRAMMING, UM, BUT NOW WE HAVE PROGRAMMING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES MOVING TOWARDS EMPLOYING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, AND AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CREATE EVEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIKE OUR SENIOR POPULATION TO COME AND CLIMB, UM, AND PROVIDE LIKE HEALTHY WORKOUTS AND CLIMBING OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S JUST BEEN THE GOAL AS A WHOLE.
AND I CAN SAY HONESTLY, THAT WE'VE, WE STRIVE FOR THAT TO BE TRULY INCLUSIVE FOR THE POP OR FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS IN A, A MUCH SMALLER LOCATION.
AND SO IT'S EXCITING TO THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE A MUCH LARGER, UH, LOCATION TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE.
SO WE'VE ALREADY SERVED OVER 100, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE WITH SOME LEVEL OF DISABILITY, AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD OVER 100, UH, PEOPLE OF THE CLIMBING COMMUNITY COME AND VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO PROVIDE THESE CLIMBING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND, UM, IT SEEMS OBVIOUS ALL THE PHYSICAL BENEFITS THAT COME WITH CLIMBING, BUT THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF THE LESSER KNOWN BENEFITS THAT COME WITH ROCK CLIMBING, UM, THAT INCLUDE COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL SKILL, LIFESTYLE, AND SOCIAL BENEFITS.
AND SO JUST TO SPEAK ON, IT'S MORE THAN JUST GOING TO THE GYM AND CLIMBING.
YOU'RE GAINING SO MUCH OTHER SKILL FROM IT.
UM, AND CRUX HAS STRIVED TRUE TO ITS MISSION TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, AGAIN, BEING INCLUSIVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE NOW HERE FROM LYDIA HEALS CAMP, FOLLOWED BY BEN EDWARD SCHAMP, SELECT STAR SIX.
I HAVE WORKED AT CRU SINCE 2018, AND I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF SOUTH AUSTIN.
ONE OF MY JOBS IS TO BE THE VOICE AND EAR OF CRUX.
I ANSWER ALL OF OUR INFO EMAILS AS WELL AS ANY OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSES.
ONE THING THAT IS SPECIAL TO A LOCAL BUSINESS RATHER THAN A BIG CORPORATION, IS THE, THE ABILITY TO HEAR WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING AND RESPOND PERSONALLY AND ACCORDINGLY.
WE'RE HERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, OUR MEMBERS, GUESTS, NEIGHBORS, NON-PROFITS, AND MORE.
BEFORE I WORKED AT CRU, I MADE THE SWITCH FROM ANOTHER GYM TO CRUST TO THIS EXACT COMMUNITY ORIENTED APPROACH.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT BEING THE VOICE AND EAR CRU IS HEARING HOW CRU HAS IMPACTED
[00:30:01]
THE COMMUNITY FOR THE BETTER.WE HAVE A 60 YEAR OLD DOCTOR WHO STARTED CLIMBING IN HIS FIFTIES AT CRUX, TOOK ALL OF OUR CLIMBING CLASSES, AND THEN SENT US PICTURES FROM HIS FIRST OUTDOOR CLIMBING EXPERIENCE.
HE IS NOW PART OF A GROUP OF 50 TO SIX YEAR OLDS WHO COME AND CLIMB EVERY OTHER WEEKDAY MORNING.
WE HAVE FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CLIMB BEFORE, BUT COME BACK NOW FOR EVERY ADAPTIVE CLIMBING DAY BECAUSE NOW THEY CAN CLIMB, THERE'S A SPACE FOR THEM.
THERE'S SEVEN YEAR OLD JOHN WHO SPENT 30 MINUTES GOING UP AND DOWN THE WALL NONSTOP EXPLAINING TO HIS MOM HOW FUN THIS WAS AND WHAT GREAT EXERCISE IT IS.
I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE IMPACT PRESS HAS ON FOLKS FROM FAMILIES, THE DIFFERENT GENERATIONS AND ABILITIES TO A REGULAR NINE TO FIBER.
AND I, FOR ONE, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE CRETON SOUTH AUSTIN RATHER THAN ANOTHER STRIP MALL OR FAST FOOD RESTAURANT.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM BEN EDWARD, FOLLOWED BY SUSAN HARKEY.
HELLO, MY NAME IS BEN EDWARDS.
I, UH, SIT ON THE BOARD OF THE TEXAS CLAMERS COALITION AND LOCAL NONPROFITS.
AND, UH, YOU KIND OF HEARD, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ON THAT.
CRUX HAS BEEN, UH, HUGE FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND THEY DEFINITELY, UH, AS YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, DO REALLY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AND THEY'VE BEEN, UH, CRUCIAL FOR US.
AND SO, UH, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO SEE THEM HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND.
NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM MISS SUSAN HARKEY.
I AM, UH, BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN AND A HOMEOWNER ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE ABOUT THREE BLOCKS DOWN FROM THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
AND I AM IN FAVOR OF THE CORRECT DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT A LOT OF CHANGING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF TRACT LAND THAT ARE GOING TO BE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS COME IN OR BE PROPOSED IN OUR AREA.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, AND THE REASON THAT I'M IN FAVOR OF THE CRUX DEVELOPMENT IS THAT IT'S A LOCAL COMPANY WITH ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY AS EVERYONE'S HEARD SO FAR FROM THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS.
AND I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE A COMPANY LIKE THAT COME IN RATHER THAN A DEVELOPER THAT'S BUILDING A LARGE SCALE, MULTI RESIDENTIAL, UM, DEVELOPMENT WITH PRIVATE FACILITIES FOR THOSE RESIDENTS THAT WE DON'T BENEFIT FROM AS NEIGHBORS.
I ALSO THINK THAT CRUX HAVE BEEN VERY WILLING AND AMENABLE TO COLLABORATING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I'VE BEEN IMPRESSED BY, UH, THE WAY THAT THEY'VE BEEN WILLING TO TAKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS AND INTEGRATE IT INTO THEIR DESIGN.
I ALSO THINK THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS, AND A LOT OF SOUTH AUSTIN HAS A LACK OF, UM, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
AND I THINK THAT CREX COULD BE A GREAT CENTER FOR FITNESS AND RECREATION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
NOW I'LL START TO HEAR FROM THE OPPOSITION BEGINNING WITH THE MISS SUSAN HAND.
RIGHT, MS. HEMBRE, YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES.
I'M FROM THE PARK RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD AND MY HOUSE IS 16 FEET FROM RALPH BLE NADO.
I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN HERE TALKING ABOUT RALPH ADO FOR THE LAST DECADE EVERY TIME IT COMES UP.
SO I'M GONNA CHANGE THE CONVERSATION NOW.
CROOK SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GREAT PLACE.
UM, GREAT PEOPLE AND NOTHING, WE HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO THAT.
BUT RALPH ANADO IS A SUBSTANDARD ROAD.
IT'S 22 FEET WIDE, IT IS POTHOLE LADEN.
AND IN 2021, THE CITY OPENED UP AN EXTENSION OF RALPH ATO TO INTERSTATE 35.
SO NOW ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONG RALPH, AND THERE ARE A LOT, THERE ARE A LOT MORE RESIDENTIAL USES IN THIS AREA THAN, THAN THERE ARE BUSINESSES.
AND ALL OF THE BUSINESSES ARE SELF-CONTAINED.
THEY DON'T GENERATE TRAFFIC COMING IN AND OUT.
THEY DON'T HAVE CUSTOMERS COMING IN AND OUT.
UM, AND WE THINK THIS, THIS LOCATION IS JUST NOT APPROPRIATE FOR, UM, A BUSINESS THAT'S ALSO GONNA HAVE RETAIL.
AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE RETAIL IS.
WE'VE POINTED OUT THAT THERE IS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF RETAIL NOW ON CONGRESS AVENUE, JUST DOWN AT THE, AT A BLOCK AWAY, TWO BLOCKS AWAY.
THERE'S PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU COULD WANT.
WE'VE GOT FOUR OR FIVE GYMS IN THE AREA.
UM, RALPH BONITO, COLIN LANE AND PEACEFUL HILL ARE THE INTERSECTIONS HERE THAT ARE ALL SUBSTANDARD.
[00:35:01]
BEING OVERDEVELOPED.I, I STOOD OUTSIDE WITH MY PHONE YESTERDAY AND CAPTURED MINUTE VIDEOS SEVERAL TIMES TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON ON RALPH BENETO.
SO, UM, ANDREW'S GONNA RUN THIS CLIP OF TWO MINUTES IN MY LIFE.
THERE'S 24 BEFORE IT'S ALL OVER
SO I ACTUALLY LOOK OUT AT THIS LOCATION AND THAT FENCE AND THAT TIME POST BEYOND IS THE LOCATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT I SEE FROM MY LIVING AREA.
IT'S A CONSTANT BARRAGE OF CARS 24 7.
WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY OF THE 18 WHEELERS THAT GO BY OR THERE'S A HOT RODDER THAT LIVES DOWN PEACEFUL HILL THAT ZOOMS UP AND DOWN THE STREET SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.
I WISH I COULD HAVE GONE THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE THE FIRST RESPONDERS JUST DOWN THE ROAD, AND THEY'RE NOW HAVING ISSUES TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE CONGRESS.
AND, UH, RALPH BENATO INTERSECTION THAT WAS PUT IN WHEN THE, WHEN THE EXCHANGE OPENED UP, THE, THE, UH, THE EXTENSION OPENED UP.
AND THAT IS THE MOST DISASTROUS INTERSECTION.
THERE'S TWO, THERE'S A, UM, A LOUNGE AND A CONVENIENCE STORE AT THE CORNER.
SO PEOPLE EITHER TRY TO CUT THROUGH THE PARKING LOT TO GET OUT ON CONGRESS OR THEY CUT THROUGH THE FAR OUTS PARKING LOT AND IT, IT'S A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.
SOMEONE'S GOING TO GET HIT, THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE GONNA GET INTO AN ACCIDENT.
SO WE JUST THINK, UM, UNTIL THE CITY COMMITS TO, UH, IMPROVING RALPH, NOT ONE PENNY HAS GONE TO RALPH YET, UNTIL THEY COMMIT TO MAKING THIS A ROAD THAT'S WORTHY OF ALL THIS TRAFFIC THAT'S ON IT.
THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY MORE DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS JUST AN INAPPROPRIATE LOCATION.
AND, UH, WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO CRUX.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PLACE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S MORE OF A PLACE THAT NEEDS TO BE ON A CORRIDOR LIKE CONGRESS AVENUE.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM MS. KATHLEEN QUE UH, MS. RAHO.
YOU'LL HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES.
SELECT STAR SIX, PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
THIS IS KATHY QUE AND I LIVE ON CHARLOTTE WAY, WHICH IS IN PARKRIDGE GARDENS, A COMMUNITY THAT'S VERY NEAR THE, UH, SITE THAT CRUX WOULD BE ON.
AND I WANNA REITERATE SOME OF THE POINTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE.
I FEEL THAT THE SAFETY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE FAMILIES, THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE THERE IN THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE THERE NOW IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I AGREE THAT RALPH ABER NADO HAS BEEN VERY SUBSTANDARD.
IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT VERY EASY TO WATCH WHAT THE POLICE OFFICERS AND THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE ALSO IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET THROUGH THE, UH, CONGESTION THAT HAS OCCURRED WITH THE SUBSTANDARD SITUATION THAT DEVELOPED ONCE WE OPENED UP THE ROAD ALL THE WAY TO THE HIGHWAY.
NOW I'M ALL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND I ENJOY HAVING THINGS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE CAN ENJOY THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WITH SOMEONE AS AS AWESOME AS CRUS CUZ WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THEY OFFERED.
THE CONCERN THAT I WANT TO EXPRESS FOR MY COMMUNITY IS THAT SAFETY AND QUALITY OF COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD SHARE TOGETHER SHOULD BE WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.
AND RIGHT NOW, AS WHAT HAS SAID, BEEN SAID BEFORE, THE CITY IS NOT LOOKING AT RAP A NAGO TO MAKE IT APPROPRIATE FOR THE CURRENT LEVEL OF TRAFFIC, MUCH LESS THE
[00:40:01]
INCREASE THAT WOULD OCCUR WITH CRU DOING MORE THAN SIMPLY THEIR OWN BUSINESS, BUT ALSO INCLUDING ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES THAT WOULD INCREASE THE TRAFFIC FLOW THAT IS ALREADY AN ISSUE.SO, SO I RESPECT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING AT THIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT YOU WOULD WANT IN YOUR OWN LIFE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY RIDE THE SCHOOL BUS OFF THAT STREET ALREADY.
UH, IT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT CAN BE SHARED WITH BUSINESSES SAFELY WHEN WE AS A CITY LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO KEEP OUR ROADS SAFE.
RAPA NATO IS NOT A SAFE STREET RIGHT NOW.
AND ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, TRAFFIC ON, ON IT FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE A NEGATIVE, IN MY OPINION, FOR, FOR NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY BUT THE BUSINESSES.
AND IN MY OPINION, THAT'S NOT OKAY.
I TOO WOULD RATHER SEE, UH, BUSINESSES FOCUS ON STAYING CLOSE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO WE CAN ENGAGE TOGETHER, OR AT LEAST NOT INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TRA TRAFFIC BY CONSIDERING BRINGING IN MORE BUSINESS THAN IS EVEN APPROPRIATE FOR THAT LOW SUBSTANDARD, UH, STREET SITUATION.
NOT ONLY RAP A NATO, BUT THE OTHER TWO THAT COME INTO IT, CU AND PEACEFUL HEAL.
THAT IS NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I INVITE YOU TO DRIVE TO OUR AREA AND LOOK AT IT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
OR LIKE SUSAN DID, THE TWO MINUTE, TWO MINUTE VIDEO THAT DOES, THAT DOESN'T SHOW EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS.
AND WE WANNA KEEP PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN OUR AREA AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, WE WANNA KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE.
AND, AND SO I WANT TO PROMOTE NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE CURRENT UNSAFE SITUATION WE HAVE WITH THE SUBSTANDARD STREETS AND THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.
AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TIME.
YOU WILL NOW HEAR FROM MR. JOHN STOKES, FOLLOWED BY RENEE PET.
SEE THE FIRST SLIDE? MY NAME IS JOHN STOKES.
I'M THE CONTACT FOR PEACEFUL HILL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER, UH, A RESIDENT OF PEACEFUL HILL LANE FOR 12 YEARS.
I'VE SEEN IT UNDERGO MANY CHANGES.
HERE'S THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STATEMENT.
ENSURE HARMONIOUS AND COMPATIBLE TRANSITIONS BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS AND ADJACENT COMMERCIAL MIXED USE AND DENSER HOUSING.
AND THEN IT EMPHASIZES BY REGULATING SETBACKS, BUILDING MASS AND HEIGHT AND OTHER DESIGN AND ELEMENT USES.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO TONIGHT.
REGULATE SETBACKS, BILLING, MASS AND HEIGHT AND OTHER DESIGN ELEMENT AND USES.
NEXT THE CITY OF AUSTIN ZONING GUIDE, UH, WHICH WE LOOKED AT WHEN EVALUATING THIS PROJECT HAD THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES.
UH, NUMBER ONE, UH, USE THOSE, UH, ZONING PRINCIPLES WHEN ANALYZING A PROJECT.
WE HOPE YOU WILL DO THAT AS WELL.
UH, IT SHOULD NOT RESULT IN DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
WE THINK IT DOES FOR REASONS I'LL EXPLAIN.
IT DOESN'T PROMOTE A TRANSITION BETWEEN ADJACENT AND NEARBY ZONING DISTRICT.
IT GOES FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR NONSTOP.
NEXT, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE HAVE A A, A PROBLEM WITH.
CRUX DOES A LOT OF REALLY GOOD THINGS, BUT NONE OF 'EM REQUIRE RETAIL AND SERVICES BUILDINGS.
THOSE ARE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING THIS ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE IN THEIR WORDS.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE OR RALPH ANADO.
THERE'S, UH, ESPECIALLY NOT AT THIS LOCATION, PEACEFUL HILLS CONSIDERED A RES A MINOR RESIDENTIAL COLLECTOR STREET.
RALPH ODO WAS A COLLECTOR STREET.
COEN LANE IS A COLLECTOR STREET.
THEY'RE ALL THREE CLASSIFIED AS SUBSTANDARD AND THEY ALL INTERSECTED CRUX NEXT.
UH, THEY PROPOSED 4,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL.
IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THAT'S THE SIZE OF A HOUSE.
I DON'T LIVE IN A 4,000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
I DO KNOW THEY'RE 19 AND 23 FEET TALL.
THAT MUST BE AT LEAST TWO STORIES.
SO THERE MAY BE 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE GOING ON THERE.
AS A RESULT, YOU'RE GONNA GET ALL THIS ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC FROM THE RETAIL SPACE ON NOAL FA COED LANE AND PEACEFUL HILL LANE.
WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT FUTURE TENANTS WILL OCCUPY THOSE STORES.
THEY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY THEY WON'T.
UH, MOVING THAT SECOND BUILDING OUT OF THE SITE PLAN AS THEY PRESENTED IT WOULD ALLOW US TO GET PARKING, UH, MORE PARKING IN THERE AND MOVE THE PARKING FARTHER AWAY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
[00:45:01]
CRU CLAIMS YOU'VE HEARD WHAT GREAT THINGS CRUX DOES, AND WE DON'T DENY THAT THEY DO MANY, MANY FINE THINGS.WE THINK THEY CAN DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS THEY LISTED WITHOUT RETAIL BUILDINGS, AND WE THINK THEY CAN DO IT ALL WITHOUT A BUILDING HEIGHT OF 44 AND 50 FEET.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THOSE THINGS THAT THEY MENTION THAT REQUIRE A BUILDING OF THIS SIZE OR RETAIL SPACE.
EVERYTHING WAS INSIDE THE CRU GYM.
IT'S ALL WONDERFUL, BUT THEY DON'T NEED A BUILDING THIS BIG.
IT'S NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING WE NEED IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
WE'VE GOT 85 RETAILERS IN SOUTH PARK MEADOWS AND WE HAVE 30 RESTAURANTS AT SOUTH PARK MEADOWS.
ONE OUT HERE FROM RENEE PENTON.
I LIVE AT 78 0 2 PEACEFUL HILL LANE WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WHO THINKS CRUX IS SUPER COOL.
SO, UM,
UM, I AND ALSO TOO, TO REPRESENT PEACEFUL HILL PRESERVATION TO SOME DEGREE.
I, I, I JUST, I I THINK I HAVE TO ECHO THE CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT TRAFFIC DENSITY AND, UM, THESE WOEFULLY UNDERSIZED STREETS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT ARE SURROUNDING THIS PROJECT.
SO THE PEACEFUL HILLS HILL PRESERVATION IS LESS ABOUT REJECTING THESE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS ALONG OUR VERY SMALL CORRIDOR, BUT MORE ABOUT HOW WE LOOK AT THE PROJECTS AS A WHOLE.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ACTUALLY, UM, LOOKING AT THREE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, UM, ACTUALLY ONE THAT WAS APPROVED TO WEEKS AGO BY YOUR, UM, GROUP TO BY THE COMMISSION TO, UH, CHANGE THEIR, THEIR ZONING.
UM, BUT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS IN A MATRIX ARE GOING TO INCREASE OUR TRAFFIC A HUNDRED FOLD ON PEACEFUL HILL.
THE, THE ROAD, THE PEACEFUL HILL THAT IS, UM, NEXT TO THE CRUX, UH, GYM IS 20 FEET WIDE AND, UM, LITERALLY TWO CARS CAN ALMOST NOT PASS EACH OTHER.
ALL OF THE MAILBOXES HAVE TO BE TURNED, YOU KNOW, TO, YOU KNOW, INWARD BECAUSE THEY GET KNOCKED OVER BY CAR SIDE, YOU KNOW, MIRRORS.
SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS, UM, JUST AGAIN TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF HOW UNDERSIZED RALPH ADO IS, BUT ALSO PEACEFUL HILL.
UM, THIS PROJECT AT TWO 20, RALPH ADO, IS JUST SIMPLY INCONGRUENT WITH THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
WE BELIEVE THE HEIGHT OF THE STRUCTURE, THE HOURS OF THE BUSINESS, THE COVENANT THEY HAVE WITH PARKRIDGE, UM, THAT IS A CURRENT COVENANT WITH THAT PROPERTY HAS HOURS OF SEVEN TO FOUR 30.
THEY DO NOT WANNA LIFT THAT COVENANT AND INCREASED TRAFFIC.
THE AMOUNT OF TRIPS ARE JUST UNSUSTAINABLE.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT IT IN THE MATRIX OF ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS ALONG COLIN LANE, THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE ON RALPH ALDO, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO COME TO PEACEFUL HILL AND THEY ARE COMING, WE HAVE, UM, A VERY, VERY LARGE PROJECT AT THE BASE OF, UH, PEACEFUL HILL THAT IS, UM, ASKING FOR 200,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE.
89,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL, 1,218 RESIDENTIAL UNITS WITH TWO EGRESSES ON THE PEACEFUL HILL.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, ONE OF THOSE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ON FOREMOST THAT AGAIN, IS THAT CONNECTIVITY THING THAT WE KEEP BRINGING UP.
IT'S I 35 ALL THE WAY TO PEACEFUL HILL AND IT'LL BUTT RIGHT INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.
AND THEY'VE OFFERED TO BUILD HIM A WALL.
SO WHAT WE'RE WE ARE, WE WILL SOON BE EXPERIENCING WHAT RALPH ALAN NATO NEIGHBORS ARE EXPERIENCING, WHICH IS THAT CONNECTIVITY IS GREAT.
WE LOVE TO QUICKLY GET OVER TO I 35, EXCEPT FOR THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT IT IS BRINGING US.
AND OUR, UM, EMERGENCY SERVICES CANNOT ACCESS THE ROAD AND GET OUT OF THE ROAD.
WE HAVE CULVERT STATE EACH SIDE.
IT IS AGAIN, WOEFULLY UNDERSIZED THAT TRAFFIC AT THAT LIGHT AT SOUTH CONGRESS BACKS UP FOR BLOCKS.
I MEAN, I, I TRY TO USE IT AS WELL, BUT I SIMPLY JUST WANNA SAY THAT WE'RE A SMALL ORGANIZATION AND PRESERVATION, YOU KNOW, THE PEACEFUL HILL PRESERVATION.
AND WE HOPE THAT YOU DO HEAR US AND WE DO INVITE YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY WITH THE INCREASED TRAFFIC.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT FOR A THREE MINUTE REBUTTAL.
MS. BROWN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU, AMANDA BROWN AGAIN.
UM, I DID WANNA MAKE ONE QUICK CLARIFICATION.
PEACEFUL HILL LANE AND RALPH ADO ARE BOTH, UM, LEVEL TWO ROADWAYS IDENTIFIED IN THE A S M P, WHICH ARE REALLY MORE NEIGHBORHOOD COLLECTORS.
UM, THE DEFINITION IS THEY'RE INTENDED TO CONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS, DESTINATIONS AND CARRY PEOPLE INTO AND OUT OF THE CITY FROM SURROUNDING AREAS.
UM, THE NEXT THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS, UM, WHILE WE ARE LIFTING A 300 VEHICLE TRIP LIMIT, THAT IS AN EXTREMELY LOW LIMIT THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY NEVER COME ACROSS.
UM, WE ARE STILL NOT GENERATING VERY MUCH TRAFFIC.
A FOUR ACRE MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
[00:50:01]
WOULD BE GENERATING MANY THOUSANDS OF TRIPS OUT OUT OF A SITE OF THIS SIZE.OURS IS GONNA BE 658 TRIPS, UM, WITH THE RETAIL COMPONENT INCLUDED AS WELL.
UM, I I THINK ANOTHER THING I WOULD POINT OUT ARE THE, UM, PERCENTAGE INCREASES ON THESE ROADS DUE TO OUR TRAFFIC.
IT'S GONNA BE A 12% INCREASE ON PEACEFUL HILL LANE AND LIKE A 7% ON, ON RALPH, ON RALPH ALAN NATO.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW, KNOW THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE RETAIL, BUT, BUT IN MY MIND WE HAVE DONE AN EXTENSIVE LIMIT ON THE, THE ALLOWED USES THERE.
I MEAN THEY IS TRULY LIMITED WHAT WE CAN DO THERE.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO LIMIT THE TRIPS TO KIND OF LIMIT THE INTENSITY OF THAT AS WELL.
AND, AND REALLY THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF BEING ABLE TO KIND OF, UH, PLAY AND, AND WORK IN ONE SPOT.
LIKE YOU CAN WORK HERE, YOU CAN WALK ACROSS THE COURTYARD AND GET A SMOOTHIE, GO TO THE GYM INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GET INTO YOUR CAR AND DRIVE SIX BLOCKS AWAY TO GO USE ONE OF THOSE.
SO BY VIRTUE OF HAVING A MIX OF USES HERE, UM, IS TRULY GONNA BE LIMITING THE TRIPS, THE TRIPS AS WELL.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVE BY COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER STERN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, I AM GONNA GO FIRST CUZ I HAVE JUST A QUESTION.
UM, I SEE MR. BEADIE BAIE ON THE LINE, BUT I DON'T SEE ANYBODY FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT RALPH ADO FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND I THINK THE MAIN, MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE EMS AND FIRE STATION ON THE ROADWAY.
AND SO WE KNOW IT'S A SUBSTANDARD STREET.
THE CITY HAS BOND PROJECTS THAT THEY'VE, UM, DIRECTED TOWARDS A, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PURPOSES OF FIXING SUBSTANDARD STREETS AND ON THE WEBSITE ABOUT SUBSTANDARD STREETS.
I DON'T SEE RALPH A NATO INCLUDED.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, AS WE OF COURSE WE'RE SEEING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THEY, UM, FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE MANY PROJECTS IN THE AREA AND WE HAVE HAD THEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, I JUST AM WONDERING WHERE IN OUR CAPITAL PLANNING ROLLING NEEDS ASSESSMENT, DOES RALPH ADO FALL? YES.
UM, I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF, UH, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
UH, UH, AS PART OF THE STREET IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL, THERE IS A ROADWAY CAPACITY PLAN THAT GOES WITH THAT ORDINANCE.
SO THAT MONEY COLLECTED FROM THE STREET IMPACT FEE GOES TO DESIGNATED PROJECTS WITHIN THAT ROADWAY CAPACITY PLAN.
RALPH O, NATO AND, UH, PLEASANT HEEL.
UH, BOTH RALPH ALAN NATO AND PEACEFUL HILL ARE CONSIDERED A LEVEL TWOS, AS WAS STATED, AND A FULL CROSS SECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 72 FEET.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE TRAVEL LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
UH, PROTECTED BIKE LANES BEHIND THE CURB PLANTING ZONES WITH TREES AND SIDEWALKS ARE IN THAT CROSS SECTION.
THOSE ROADS CAN RECEIVE FUNDING THROUGH THE STREET IMPACT FEE, UM, AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE.
AND I WOULD SAY LOOKING AT THE, UM, RIGHT AWAY AVAILABLE, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE EXISTS 72 FEET OF RIGHT AWAY TODAY, SO IT REALLY IS JUST A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT'S NEEDED.
SO IT SOUNDS CORRECT FOR, FOR RALPH A RIGHT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE AS DEVELOPMENT OCCURS, YOU WILL HAVE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED.
AND AS PART OF THE STREET IMPACT FEE, OF COURSE THE DEVELOPER PAYS INTO THE SERVICE AREA FUND FOR THIS AREA.
THIS IS IN THE STREET IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE REFERRED TO AS SERVICE AREA IN.
AND SO AS THE PRIORITY RISES AND AS THE FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE, RALPH, A NATO CAN BE, UH, RECEIVED FUNDING TO GO TO THE FULL STANDARD CROSS SECTION.
WHO ELSE HAS QUESTIONS? THAT WAS LOT NEW.
IT'S A QUICK QUESTION FOR MR. BATTY.
UM, ON THE, THE, UH, ROAD BREAK CAPACITY PLANS, DO YOU PRIOR PRIORITIZE, UM, THE PROJECTS THAT YOU WANNA SEE FUNDED? IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS A PRIORITY.
IS RALPH LE NATO PERHAPS ON THE TOP OF THE LIST OR WHERE IS IT? I WOULD HAVE TO VERIFY THAT.
I DO NOTE, UM, SUBSTANDARD STREETS DO TEND TO RISE TO THE PRIORITY IN EACH OF THE SERVICE AREAS.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE TALKED WITH EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, DISTRICTS OF THE, THE DESIRABLE, UH, ROADS THAT NEED THE, UH, URGENCY.
AND RALPH ANOT WAS POINTED OUT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RANKED AS THE TOP ONE OR TWO PROJECTS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I WILL SAY SUBSTANDARD ROADS TEND TO RANK THE HIGHEST
[00:55:01]
IN EACH OF THE SERVICE AREAS.AND THEN A QUICK QUESTION, DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S IN THE 10 YEAR PLAN AT ALL FOR C I P, THE, THE URBAN REPU RENEWAL PROGRAM? I DO NOT KNOW.
NO, I MEANT, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANY, I KNOW THERE'S LONG, THERE'S THE BONDS ARE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS, BUT THE LONG RANGE PLANNING IS FOR 10 YEARS OUT.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW IF IT'S IN ANY, EITHER THE BOND PROPOSED BOND FUNDING OR I WOULD NOT KNOW BOND RANGE.
I DO KNOW IN THE 20 16, 20 18 AND 2020 MOBILITY BONDS, RALPH ALET, NATO, IT'S NOT CALLED OUT SPECIFICALLY TO REFU SEED FUNDING FOR THOSE.
UH, BUT AS, AS I SAID, WITH THE STREET IMPACT FEE, IT DOES HAVE A FUNDING MECHANISM AVAILABLE TO IT NOW.
AND MR. BAY, WHILE, WHILE YOU ARE STILL UP HERE, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF, ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, I HEAR YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS.
WE'VE HEARD THIS, YOU KNOW, CASE AFTER CASE WHERE THESE, THESE ROADS, THESE SUBSTANDARD ROADS ARE, CAN QUALIFY FOR FUNDING.
BUT WHERE THE ISSUE IS, IS THAT THAT FUNDING IS GENERALLY NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER THE DEVELOPMENT HAS GONE ONLINE AND AFTER THE TRAFFIC IMPACT AND ALL THE CONSEQUENCES HAVE BEEN FELT.
SO THAT'S WHAT MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT IT SOUNDS GOOD THERE'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL FOR STREET IMPACT FEES TO HELP FUND THAT.
BUT CAN YOU, CAN YOU CLARIFY WHETHER THAT FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN THIS DEVELOPMENT COMES TO WILL THAT, WILL THAT ROAD BE, BE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS TRAFFIC WHEN IT COMES ONLINE? WELL, AS, AS FAR AS THE FUNDING AND THIS STRAIGHT IMPACT FEE IS, I WILL AGREE THE NATURE OF THE PROGRAM IS THE FUNDING IS RECEIVED A CONSTRUCTION THAT HAPPENS AFTER DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, UH, PRE-DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AS FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE FOR THE SERVICE AREA, UH, IS THIS GOING TO ADD AN EXORBITED NOW TRAFFIC THAT IT CANNOT BE HANDLED? I WOULD SAY NO.
WE HAVE OTHER LEVEL TWO STREETS THAT ARE SUBSTANDARD IN THE CITY CARRYING OVER 10,000 DAILY TRIPS.
SO THIS IS BELOW WHAT IS BEING HANDLED IN OTHER SCENARIOS, UH, COULD THERE BE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF RALPH ANOT, NATO AND SOUTH CONGRESS? THAT INTERSECTION IS ALSO IDENTIFIED FOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE STREET IMPACT FEE, SUCH AS ADDING DUAL LEFT TURN LANES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO AGAIN, THE VERY NATURE OF THE STREET IMPACT FEE IS AFTER DEVELOPMENT.
WE CAN'T COLLECT THE MONEY PRIOR TO OR FORCE THEM NOT TO DEVELOP UNTIL THAT IS MADE.
BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT OUR RALPH FADO CAN HANDLE THE APPROXIMATELY 650 DAILY TRIPS THAT THIS SITE WOULD GENERATE.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOODS ALL SEE THIS FIRSTHAND.
THEY SEE THIS, THAT THE FUNDING, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, LAG WELL BEHIND THE DEVELOPMENT WELL BEHIND.
AND SO WE GET THIS, THESE, THESE, THESE, UH, THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA SHIFT AND TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER ISSUES HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR INFORMATION.
UM, AND, AND THIS IS ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, I JUST, THIS, THIS IS, I REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING, UH, THIS, THIS KIND OF A BUSINESS AVAILABLE TO, TO FAMILIES TO PARTICIPATE IN.
IT'S HEALTHY, IT'S A GOOD THING.
YOU KNOW, I CAN, I CAN SEE LOTS OF POSITIVES FOR THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, I WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING ONLINE AT CRUX AND WHAT THE CLIMBING CENTER AND I CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH LIKE EVENTS ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, IT OPENS UP AT 6:00 AM AND IT GOES INTO THE EVENING AND IT'S ON WEEKENDS, AND WE HAVE THINGS HAPPENING IN THE SUMMERTIME AND IT'S, IT'S LIGHT BECOMES, AND, AND, AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY BEING CRITICAL OF THAT.
WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
WHAT ARE THOSE IMPACTS GOING TO BE WHEN WE, IF WE, IF WE, IF THIS DEVELOPMENT GOES THROUGH.
SO CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING SITUATION, WHAT KINDS OF EVENTS, HOW MANY PEOPLE, UH, ARE, ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE HERE AND HOW OFTEN AND, AND NOISE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WHAT, WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION? IS THAT YOU MS. BROWN? YEAH.
FOR, THAT'S FOR THE APPLICANT.
UM, SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW IT FUNCTION.
IT, IT IS OPEN ALL DAY AND ON WEEKENDS, UM, UH, 6:00 AM TO, UH, 11:00 PM IT IS WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS THAT MAY CHANGE, UM, THAT WE DON'T HA THERE ARE OCCASIONALLY EVENTS, BUT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY SORT OF OUTDOOR NOISE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, YOUTH PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS PART OF OUR USUAL OPERATING BUSINESS.
BUT, UM, WHAT I WANNA SAY ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC IS WHILE WE DO HAVE PEAK HOURS, OUR TRIPS ARE,
[01:00:01]
UH, SPREAD OUT OVER THE ENTIRE DAY.AND SO, UM, REALLY FROM A TRAFFIC PERSPECTIVE, THOSE, THE, THE, THE PROGRAMMING AND THE HOURS OF OPERATION REALLY DISTRIBUTE THE TRAFFIC OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, WE HAVE AMPLE PARKING OR A CURRENT FACILITY, UM, IN SOUTH AUSTIN HAS A PARKING ISSUE THAT SOME OF YOU MAY BE AWARE OF.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA ENSURE THAT THIS, UH, HAS PLENTY OF PARKING.
UM, AND, AND SO NOBODY IS PARKING IN THE STREET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, LOTS OF PEOPLE, UM, DROP OFF HERE AS WELL.
LOTS OF CAR SHARING, LOTS OF YOUTH PROGRAMS WITH BIG BUSES COME IN.
UM, NOT BIG BUSES, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMING.
DID I ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER KING? I THINK YOU'RE IMMUNE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALSO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, CAMPS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT WORKS? UM, I MIGHT LET GRACE YOU GOT THAT ONE.
YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE DAY CAMPS.
THEY RUN, UM, 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM FOR OUR OLDER KIDS AND NINE TO ONE.
CAUSE LITTLE KIDS DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ATTENTION SPAN
AND, UH, SOME ADULTS FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY TOO.
AND THE CAMPS, WE TYPICALLY CAP IT.
UM, SO THE BIGGEST CAMP WE'VE HAD IS LIKE 24 KIDS, UM, FOR THE WEEK, AND IT RUNS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
AND CAN YOU HELP ME WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RETAIL, THE, THE GEAR, THE GEAR SHOP, AND WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE FOOD AND ALCOHOL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AS WELL AS GEAR AND EQUIPMENT TO BUY? SO IN OUR CURRENT FACILITY, WE HAVE JUST A CLIMBING GEAR SHOP.
SO WE HAVE LIKE A TYPICAL, YOU HAVE YOUR CRUX APPAREL STUFF, THAT'S OUR BRANDED STUFF.
AND THEN WE HAVE LIKE CLIMBING GEAR THAT YOU WOULD TAKE TO GO OUTSIDE.
SO A LOT OF OUR CLIMBING CLASSES TEACH YOU HOW TO TAKE THIS AND TRANSITION TO THE OUTDOORS, AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO EQUIP PEOPLE AS WELL WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT.
ANDAR, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE FOOD? LIKE COFFEE AND FOOD AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, ALCOHOL, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A POTENTIAL WITH, UH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE, WE DO SELL GRAB AND GOS LIKE GRANOLA BARS AND STUFF INSIDE OF OUR FACILITY RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN THE SECOND RETAIL COMPONENT, THE 4,000 SQUARE FOOT COULD POTENTIALLY BE, SO POTENTIALLY BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LIKE A RESTAURANT OR PR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YEAH, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T GO SO FAR AS A RESTAURANT.
UM, AGAIN, LIKE WE HAVE A PARKING ISSUE AT OUR CURRENT LOCATION AND WE DON'T WANNA EXPERIENCE THAT AGAIN.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA CAUSE A LOT OF PARKING TAKEOVER.
AND MY LAST QUESTION IN THIS ROUND IS ABOUT THE COST.
YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THE COST, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE CLIMBED MOUNTAINS, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN A ROCK CLIMBER OR BOULDERING UNDERNEATH THAT.
SO COULD YOU CLARIFY FOR ME, IS THIS ALL GOING TO BE HAPPENING INDOORS INSIDE THE WALLS SO THAT THE NOISE IS KEPT INSIDE FROM CLIMBING AND I KNOW HOW CLIMBERS GET EXCITED AND THEY MAYBE HAVE TO YELL AT EACH OTHER TO COMMUNICATE THINGS LIKE THAT? YES, YES.
ALL THE CLIMBING IS IN INSIDE RIGHT NOW.
SO YEAH, EVEN OUR YOGA FITNESS, ALL OF THAT IS CONTAINED INSIDE.
AND BOULDERING TOO, YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT INSIDE? YES.
I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY THIS AND, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE COST, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AND IT'S LIKE $85 A MONTH AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YEAH, I, YEAH, THAT SEEMS KIND OF HOT.
COMMISSIONER KING, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS RELEVANT TO THE ZONING PER SE, LIKE I KNOW WHAT I, NO, I THINK IT IS RELEVANT TO THE ZONING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS BEING A COMMUNITY BUSINESS THAT'S GONNA SERVE COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING ABOUT IS GONNA BE AFFORDABLE TO THE LOW INCOME.
THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION THOUGH, THAT, THAT'S OUR MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION BASE AND OUR, UM, BLANKET ONE.
SO WE OFFER A DISCOUNT FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, MILITARY, FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, THAT DISCOUNTS IT TO 67.
AND THEN IF YOU JOIN IN A CREW, WE HAVE, UM, A CREW MEMBERSHIP.
IT'S LIKE A FAMILY MEMBERSHIP, BUT WE DON'T WANNA DEFINE FAMILY.
SO ANYBODY CAN JOIN AS LONG AS YOU'RE ON THE SAME CREDIT CARD AND THAT DISCOUNTS IT.
UM, THE MORE PEOPLE IN YOUR CREW, THE DEEPER DISCOUNT CAN GO.
SO YOU CAN GET YOUR MEMBERSHIP DOWN TO LIKE $50 A MONTH.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE IF YOU DO A WHOLE YEAR PAID IN FULL, WHICH A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS DO, WE OFFER THOSE DIFFERENT DISCOUNTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND IT TAKES IT DOWN TO LIKE $48 A MONTH IF YOU COMMIT TO A WHOLE YEAR WITH US.
SO WE HAVE A, A WIDE PRICE RANGE CHEAPER THAN THE Y THANK YOU CHAIR.
I JUST, I'M SORRY, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
SUREAND, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE OUTREACH TO THE LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES? WHAT IS THE OUTREACH TO INVITE THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN, TO BE PART OF THIS AND AFFORD THIS? WHAT IS YOUR OUTREACH PROGRAM? YEAH, DEFINITELY.
SO TWICE A YEAR WE OFFER OUR FAMILY FUND DAYS AS WE CALL IT.
UM, AND SO IN THIS FALL, IT'S COMPLETELY FREE TO COME CLIMB WITH US, AND THEN IN THE SPRING, UM, IT'S JUST $5 TO COME CLIMB.
UH, AND THEN BEYOND THAT, WE'VE WORKED WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO HAVE, UH, IF THEY WANNA BRING IN THEIR WHOLE GROUP, WE DISCOUNT THE DAY PASSES, SOMETIMES COMPLETELY COMP THEM TO ALLOW THEIR GROUPS
[01:05:01]
TO COME IN.WE'VE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH THE BIG BROTHER, BIG SISTER PROGRAM.
IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE BROTHER OR SISTER, UM, THEY CAN COME AND CLIMB IN FOR FREE WITH YOU IF YOU HAVE A MEMBERSHIP.
UM, OR WE GIVE THEM LIKE A DISCOUNTED DAY PASS TO BRING THEM.
SO WE'VE WORKED WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THANK YOU CHAIR FOR LETTING ME ASK, ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR IS THERE A MOTION I'D LIKE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS? OH, SURE.
AND UM, FIRST OFF, IS THIS, YOU'RE ASKING FOR CS BECAUSE THE RETAIL IS NOT ALLOWED UNDER THE LI IS THAT IT? UH, NO.
THERE, THE, THE USES THAT WE WANNA DO ARE, ARE COMPLETELY PERMITTED UNDER THE ALLY.
AND ORIGINALLY THE ZONING APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED TO JUST SIMPLY REMOVE THE 300 TRIP LIMIT.
AFTER, UH, WORKING AND COORDINATING WITH STAFF, UM, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE DOWN ZONE THE PROPERTY JUST CUZ OF PROXIMITY TO, TO THE NEIGHBORS.
SO WE WERE HAPPY DOING THAT AS WELL.
BUT OH, IN MY OPINION, I THINK CS IS PRETTY INTENSIVE ZONING.
I WOULDN'T EXACTLY CALL IT LABEL IT DOWN ZONING.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF A WEIRD SIDEWAY ZONING.
UM, AND IN FACT, I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE REALLY WITH THE INTENSITY THOUGH, THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A LOT MORE INTENSE.
AND I DO REMEMBER WHEN ZAP VOTED ON THE CASE THAT LED TO THAT EXTENSION OF RALPH ALAN NATO.
I BELIEVE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN, CONNECTED IN CONNECTION TO THE HEB CASE.
UM, AND SO I'VE LOOKED UP OTHER BOULDERING AND YOUR OTHER LOCATIONS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT THEY'RE OPERATING UNDER LI IT'S ACTUALLY THE AUSTIN'S, UM, GIS TOOL OR PROPERTY TOOL ISN'T REALLY THAT SPECIFIC.
SO I WAS CURIOUS BECAUSE UM, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU REALLY NEED CS, LI AND CS BOTH WORK FOR US, UM, BOTH IN TERMS OF USE AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
WELL THEN I JUST THINK WHY ROCK THE BOAT IF THERE'S NOT REALLY A PROBLEM THEN AND, AND CS ZONING ONCE IT'S THERE, IT ENABLES A LOT OF OTHER THINGS AND A LOT OF INTENSE THINGS THAT BELONG MORE ON A CORRIDOR AND NOT REALLY ON POOR LITTLE RALPH ALAN.
AND SO, UM, SO IT'S THINKING THAT, UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S NOT GONNA BE FIXED AND IT'S RESIDENTIAL TOO, SO THAT'S A HARD AREA TO ZONE.
BUT, UM, AND ALSO, WHEN DID YOU BUY THE PROPERTY? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOU COULD'VE MAYBE BOUGHT A PROPERTY THAT, UM, DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T NEED TO HAVE TO DO A ZONING CASE FOR, UH, ONE, ONE POINT I DID WANNA MAKE, AND I'LL LET GRACE ANSWER, UH, THE REASONING FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY IS THE, THE CS WE AGREED.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SUGGESTING THIS LONG PROHIBITED USE LIST, WHICH, UM, HOPEFULLY BRINGS IT MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WHEN I SEE A WHOLE LAUNDRY LIST OF CS USES OR PROHIBITED USES ON A CO, THEN I WONDER THAT MAYBE THE CO JUST DOESN'T BELONG.
I MEAN THAT THE ZONING IS NOT APPROPRIATE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION THAT I THINK IT'S, IT'S AN EXCESSIVE EXCESSIVELY LONG CO LIST.
AND, AND WE'RE FINE LEAVING IT AS ALLY, UH, IF THAT'S YOUR PREFERENCE.
SO, SO, UH, THIS CASE WAS AMENDED FROM ALLY CO N CSCO TO JUST CSCO AND THAT'S WHAT WAS NOTIFIED FOR AND POSTED FOR.
SO IF LI IS DESIRED, WE WOULD HAVE TO REIFY THIS CASE AND COME BACK TO THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
WAIT A SECOND, WOULDN'T THAT BE JUST LEAVING THE ZONING AS IS? UH, RIGHT NOW IT HAS BOTH DISTRICTS, BUT IF WE'RE TO, BUT THE REQUEST HAS BEEN NOTIFIED FOR JUST US AND, AND A NOTICE HAS BEEN SENT OUT FOR JUST CS AND, AND NOT ALLY.
SO ALLY IS, IS NOT ON THE TABLE AT THIS TIME.
I REALIZE THAT, BUT PART OF THE PARCEL IS ALLY AND WE CAN JUST KEEP THE OTHER PART CS AS IT IS AND KEEP THE ALLY AS IS.
UH, BUT THAT THE ALLY IS, IS MOST OF THE, UM, PROPERTY, BUT IT ALSO COMES WITH THIS 300 TRIP LIMIT, WHICH IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO, TO CHANGE.
IS IT THE LI THAT COMES WITH THE TRIP LIMIT OR IS IT A SPECIAL IT'S, YEAH, IT, IT'S BOTH PARCELS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A 300 TRIP LIMIT ON THE ALLY EXISTING I CO AND THE EXISTING CS C.
SO IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO ADJUST JUST THAT PIECE AND LEAVE THE ZONING OTHERWISE THE WAY IT IS?
[01:10:05]
I I, I, I DON'T THINK THERE, THERE'S A WAY TO DO THAT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST LIMITED TO 300 TRIPS UNDER THE LI I, GO AHEAD COMMISSIONER GREENBERG.I GUESS I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND CUZ WE'RE PROPOSING TO KEEP THE ZONING WITHOUT A ZONING CHANGE AND IT WAS NOTICED TO NOT HAVE A 300 TRIP LIMIT ANYMORE.
SO IF ALL WE WANNA DO IS REMOVE THE 300 TRIP LIMIT, BUT, BUT THE THE ZONING TOO IS THE ZONING WHEN I NOTIFIED IT FOR ZONING TWO, IT, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THE ZONING IF WE CHOOSE, IF WE, IF WE CHOOSE, WE CHOOSE NOT TO KEEP THE ZONING AS IS, BUT LIFT THE, LIFT THE, THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
I DON'T REALLY SEE THE, WE COULD MAKE A MOTION AND CITY LEGAL CAN COME BACK IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT.
ARE THERE USES IN, IF WE GO DOWN THE PATH OF SOME US LEAVE LA ARE THERE USES IN LA THAT WE'D WANNA RESTRICT THAT AREN'T CURRENT? IT WOULD BE MUCH OF THIS, THIS SAME LIST AND I HAVEN'T DONE A COMPARISON BETWEEN WHAT'S ALLOWED IN CS VERSUS WHAT'S ALLOWED IN, THERE'S SOME USES THAT ARE IN LA RIGHT, THAT ARE, ARE NOT ALLOWED IN ALLY AND ARE ALLOWED IN CS.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THEY CAME IN WITH THE EXISTING ZONING ALLY STAFF RECOMMENDED CHANGING IT TO CS.
THEY AGREE, SAID GREAT CHANGES TO CS.
UM, BUT IF WE LEAVE IT LA WE GOTTA GO BACK AND DO THE SAME RESTRICTIONS ON ALLY AS WE HAVE ON CS AND CS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, SO DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET IS THIS CSC? YES.
AND SO THERE IS, THERE IS PRECEDENT, I HATE TO USE THAT WORD CAUSE I HATE TO USE PRECEDENT, BUT
UM, AND I'D RATHER NOT TRY TO GET INTO DEFINING RESTRICTIONS OF THE DIAS AT THIS POINT IN TIME OR REPOST THIS THING.
AND, AND WE WERE LOOKING TO REMOVE ALLY FROM THIS AREA THAT NOW IS MORE HEAVILY RESIDENTIAL.
CORRECT? WE HAVE AN INDUSTRIAL ORDINANCE WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT AS START REMOVING SOME OF THE ALLY FROM THESE AREAS.
ANYONE ELSE? I'LL MAKE A MOTION IF, UNLESS THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS TO FOR STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BOONE? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, WHICH WAS TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
SO THAT IS STERN, GREENBERG, DINKLER, ARMITA SMITH, WOODY BOONE, AND THOMPSON.
ALL THOSE, UH, OPPOSED? AND THAT'S KWASSA AND ABSTAINING.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH, UM, COMMISSIONER DINKLER HAS VERY KINDLY OFFERED TO LEAD FOR ME.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION]
WE WANNA SEE IF THERE'S REGULAR, UH, I WAS GONNA SEE IF THEY'RE REGULAR SPEAKERS FIRST.WELL, WE, WE HAD BUSINESS COMMUNICATION THAT DIDN'T SHOW UP EARLY.
IS JOSEPH AVAILABLE? CHAIR COMMISSION.
LADIES LIAISON, ANDREW? UH, SO, UH, MS. JOSEPH IS, UH, PRESENT ON THE TELECONFERENCE, BUT UM, SHE IS REGISTERED FOR ITEM SEVEN OH.
SO, UM, WHICHEVER YOU PREFER TO.
DO YOU THINK WE CAN TAKE 'EM BOTH NOW? MAYBE AND SHE'LL GET ALL THE TIME.
MADAME CHAIR, WE HAVE TO SEPARATE.
SHE CAN'T TALK AND CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT A STAFF.
UM, I NEED TO ALSO PART THE DAY IS YES.
OKAY, BECAUSE I'M, I'M TOO CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH PROJECT CONNECT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS DEBATE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ALERT YOU.
UM, SHOULD WE HEAR THE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST AND THEN MR. STERN WILL LEAVE OR COMMISSIONER STERN WILL LEAVE OR WHILE, WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT? UH, YES.
I'LL HAVE TO PERFORM THE SAME ACTION.
HE WILL ALSO BE LEAVING, TURNING HIS CAMERA OFF FOR ALL.
WE LIKE PROJECT CONNECT, I GUESS.
COMMISSIONER KING, I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE SHOULD LET, UH, THE, THE SPEAKER MAKE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, UH, FIRST AND WHILE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS STILL HERE, THEY CAN HEAR HER.
I THINK THAT THE, THAT WILL GIVE THE FULL COMMISSION THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR HER COMMENTS.
SO I HOPE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS CAN STAY ON AND LISTEN TO HER COMMENTS.
SOUNDS LIKE PLAN I MAKE TO GO TO THE CASE.
WELL NOW, UH, PROCEED WITH, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UM, MS. ZNO, JOSEPH, IF YOU CAN, UM, PRESS, UH, SELECT STAR SIX, PROCEED WITH YOUR REMARKS.
[01:15:04]
THANK YOU MR. RIVERA.I'M ZNO JOSEPH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE PICKUP SERVICE.
AND MY RATIONALE FOR COMMENTING ON THAT IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE MOST EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU MY LIVED EXPERIENCE SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE OF US WHO LIVE NORTH OF US 180 3 GO THROUGH IN CALLING THE PICKUP SERVICE LAST WEEK.
IT ACTUALLY TOOK ABOUT 10, 15 MINUTES OR SO ON HOLD.
ONCE I GOT THROUGH IT WAS ABOUT ANOTHER 18 MINUTES.
AND SO REALLY WE WALK AND WE WAIT, WE WALK ABOUT ONE TO THREE MILES ON AVERAGE AND WE WAIT FOR THE PICKUP SERVICE.
AND WHILE I GET THAT, IT COULD BE LIKE AN UBER, IT REALLY IS NOT.
SO THE OPERATOR OR DRIVER OF THE PICKUP VEHICLE TOLD ME SHE HAD BEEN WORKING 14 HOUR DAYS.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE VEHICLE ON THAT ROUTE.
AND SO YOU CAN IMAGINE ONE PERSON HAVING TO WORK 14 HOURS IS NOT GOING TO BE AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM.
THE OTHER THING I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT THE ZONES ARE NOT CONTIGUOUS, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU USE THE DECILE ZONE, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN GET TO TECH RICH PARKING, RIGHT? BUT YOU CAN'T GET TO WALNUT CREEK, WHICH IS WHERE ST.
THAT'S WHERE ROUTE TWO 40 RUTLAND WAS UNILATERALLY ELIMINATED.
IF YOU'RE IN THE WALNUT CREEK AREA, YOU CAN'T GET TO TECH RIDGE PARK AND RIDE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE HOW DOES THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD
SO IT'S A JUGGLING ACT AND IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PAINT A PICTURE SO YOU COULD UNDERSTAND PICKUP COULD WORK.
THESE VEHICLES ARE GO ALL THE WAY TO LAGO VISTA.
AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY NORTH OF US, 180 3.
AND LITERALLY MAYER IS CONSIDERING WITHDRAWING FROM CAPITAL METRO.
IF CAPITAL METRO WAS SMART, THEY WOULD'VE CREATED A ZONE ALL THE WAY FROM MAYER TO LAGO VISTA, EAST WEST, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE IN LAGO VISTA WANT TO GET TO THE JOBS IN DELL, BUT OVER AT DELL AND THE PEOPLE IN MAYNOR GET TAX BREAKS TO SAMSUNG AND APPLE.
SO YOU HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR CORRIDOR WITH NO ACCESS.
SO THAT'S JUST A GENERAL, UM, COMMENT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION, AFRICAN AMERICAN HOMELESSNESS.
IF YOU EVER GO TO A SOCCER GAME AND YOU'RE AT BREAKER AND BURN IT, THERE'S A LADY THERE NAMED DIANA.
YOU WOULDN'T REALLY KNOW THAT SHE'S THERE BECAUSE IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A PAW OF TRASH NEXT TO THE SEVEN 11.
SO SHE IS A REAL EXAMPLE OF WHAT AFRICAN AMERICANS GO THROUGH, AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT IT WHEN THE BUS STOP THE HOME.
BUT THAT IS THE REALITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IF YOU NEED DATA, THIS IS JULY 1ST, 2022 ECHO REPORT THAT BASICALLY SAYS AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE HOME HOMELESS IN AUSTIN THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS.
I KNOW YOU DON'T DEAL WITH ALL OF THESE ISSUES, BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF HOUSING ZONING, IT'S ALL RELEVANT BECAUSE THE HOUSING IS NORTH OF US.
180 3 FAR NORTH, LIKE ONE TO FIVE MILES AWAY.
NOW, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE MY COMMENTS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM STAFF ON ITEM UM, EIGHT AND WE'LL FOLLOW WITH, EXCUSE
[7. Code Amendment: C20-2021-014 - Project Connect]
ME, ITEM SEVEN AND WE'LL FOLLOW WITH ANY, UM, SPEAKERS.SO WE'LL BEGIN WITH HEARING FROM MS. ZAINA JOSEPH.
SHE WANTED TO SPEAK ON SEVEN TWO.
MR. RIVERA, DID YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK NOW? YES, PLEASE.
I THINK THAT A WRITTEN TESTIMONY MAY BE HELPFUL TO THE COMMISSIONER.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE COMMENTS AS REALLY SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR AMENDMENTS AS IT RELATES TO THE PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE.
AND I WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER KING BECAUSE HE INCLUDED TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
I DID ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE EMAIL REPORT.
IT'S 214 PAGES IN ALL OF THOSE WORDS.
TITLE SIX IS NOT MENTIONED AT ALL.
[01:20:01]
A REFERENCE TO LOW INCOME WRITERS, BUT THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH ELSE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS.I DO WANT CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST PAGE AND JUST REMIND YOU THAT CAPITAL METRO'S MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR TRANSIT PLAN PROJECT CONNECT ACTUALLY HINGES ON RACIAL EQUITY.
IF YOU SCROLL THROUGH YOUR DOCUMENT, I ACTUALLY PROVIDED YOU WITH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO, AND THEY'RE PRETTY SIMPLE IN PART ONE.
ON PAGE TWO OF 10, I ACTUALLY ASK THAT YOU INCLUDE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL.
SO THERE'S LANGUAGE THAT SPECIFIES PROJECT CONNECT IS THE CITY'S HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT SYSTEM EXPANSION, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY CONSIST OF MULTIPLE LIGHT RAIL LINES, A DOWNTOWN SUBWAY.
AND ALL OF THAT IS TRUE, AN EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM I'M ASKING YOU TO INSERT AFTER THE WORD SYSTEM, AN EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL AUSTIN AND ASSOCIATED TRANSPORTATION.
THE REST OF THE LANGUAGE IS FINE.
THE JUSTIFICATION FOR MY WANTING YOU TO SPECIFY GEOGRAPHICALLY WHERE THE THE HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT NETWORK IS LOCATED IS SIMPLE.
JANUARY 28TH, 2019, THE CHAIRMAN AT THE TIME OF CAPITAL METRO'S BOARD, LEE COOPER ACTUALLY ADMITTED THAT THE PEOPLE IN EAST, IN THE EAST SIDE WERE DISADVANTAGED.
IF YOU LOOK, I SO PROVIDED YOU WITH THE RESOLUTION THAT THE VOTERS WERE GIVEN.
AND I ACTUALLY, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, THE INEQUITIES ARE SHOWN ON THE MAP THAT'S ON YOUR BACKUP MATERIALS.
SO YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE DOTTED LINES ON PAGE FIVE.
THERE'S NO TRANSIT NORTH OF US, 180 3, NO CONNECTIVITY.
NORTHEAST WEST CONNECTIVITY WAS ELIMINATED JUNE 3RD, 2018.
AND YOU HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT YOU PASSED IN 2018 AS WELL THAT YOU COULD REFER TO FROM THE ZON AND PLATING COMMISSION.
SO I'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH SOME LANGUAGE THAT ACTUALLY JUSTIFIES WHY THE NOR NORTHEAST, UM, SPECIFICATION SHOULD BE THERE.
I ALSO INCLUDED, THERE'S A TRANSIT DESERT GRANT FOR $1 MILLION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN GOT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN IN 2021.
SO THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF, UH, INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN RELY ON TO SPECIFY THAT IT'S JUST NOT AN EQUITABLE SYSTEM TO DIE.
UM, COMMISSIONER KING, DAVID KING, I ACTUALLY, I WANTED YOU TO STRIKE THE LANGUAGE AS RELATED TO THE EQUITY OFFICE.
I WANTED YOU TO PUT INSTEAD THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE.
AND LASTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT OFFICE IS NOW, BUT THERE WAS THE CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY, UH, FOR THE CITY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME AND PROVIDED YOU THE MAPS, UM, IN THE APPENDICES AS WELL.
MR. MCCM, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING, MADAME CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT FORWARD.
WE'RE AN AWESOME BASED NONPROFIT WHOSE MISSION IS TO DO EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT REGARDING PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, OUR BOARD HAS TAKEN A POSITION ON THIS TOPIC BEFORE YOU, AND I'D LIKE TO READ IT PLEASE.
OUR FELLOW AUSTINITE VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOR OF PROJECT CONNECT IN 2020 BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS IT WILL BRING FOR OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING REDUCED TRAFFIC CONGESTION, MORE AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, INCREASED JOB GROWTH, LESS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND SAFER STREETS, THEREFORE TRANSIT FORWARD SINCERELY APPRECIATES THE CITY'S PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE FOR PROPOSING THESE FOUNDATIONAL MODIFICATIONS.
AND WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THESE CHANGES WOULD PRUDENTLY AND APPROPRIATELY EXPEDITE THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT MUR AND METRO RAPID BUS LINES, MAKING SURE OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS GET WHAT THEY VOTED FOR SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND MADAME CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD A COUPLE MORE THINGS.
UH, THE FIRST IS WE JUST SAT THROUGH AN HOUR'S DISCUSSION ABOUT A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT AND A LOT OF THE OBJECTIONS, REGARDED TRAFFIC, EVERY SINGLE LIGHT RAIL LINE THAT IS PACKED TAKES 150 CARS OFF THE ROAD.
AND I KNOW BECAUSE I WENT TO THE FC GAME ON SUNDAY AND USED THE TRAIN AND COMING BACK, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY PACKED WITH A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE, EVERY SINGLE PERSON OR COUPLE OR FAMILY ON THOSE TRAINS AND BUSES TAKES A CAR OFF THE ROAD HELPING US WITH TRAFFIC.
THE FASTER WE CAN GET PROJECT CONNECT MOVING AND BUILT, THE MORE WE ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY REALIZE THESE CHANGES OF PEOPLE COMING OFF THE ROAD WITH SAFER STREETS, LESS NEED FOR PARKING, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO WE ONCE AGAIN FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PASS THIS.
UM, THERE WERE SOME MODIFICATIONS MADE IN OTHER COMMITTEES, ALLOWING FOR MORE COMMUNICATION, THAT SORT OF THING.
WE'RE FINE WITH THAT, BUT WE WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO PASS THIS WITHOUT A MODIFICATION THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPOSAL, WHICH IS TO LAY OUT ONE CONSISTENT POLICY FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT, RATHER THAN HAVING EVERY
[01:25:01]
SINGLE BLOCK OF RAIL OR NEW BUS STATION HAVE ITS OWN NEEDS.THANK YOU VERY MUCH MADAM CHAIR, WE APPRECIATE IT AND HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR MEETING CHAIR.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
DO YOU WANT A STAFF PRESENTATION? SURE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DONNA GALOTTI WITH THE CITY'S PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE.
FIRST, LET ME INTRODUCE JENNIFER PINE WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNER SHOP PARTNERSHIP.
SHE WILL START US OFF WITH A PROJECT CONNECT OVERVIEW.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT.
I JUST HAVE A FEW SLIDES TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, LET ME ADVANCE A FEW HERE.
UH, SO PROJECT CONNECT, UH, IS A MULTIMODAL PLAN FOR TRANSIT INVESTMENTS IN AUSTIN.
UH, FUNDING FOR THIS WAS PASSED BY VOTERS IN NOVEMBER, 2020.
UH, AND THAT, THAT'S THE SYSTEM MAP.
UM, THAT'S UP ON THE SCREEN THERE.
SO IT INCLUDES A NEW LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, UH, WITHIN THE CITY.
IT INCLUDES FUNDING FOR NEW METRO RAPID SERVICE, UH, FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM, UH, AND OTHER ITEMS AS WELL, INCLUDING EXPANDING THE PICKUP SERVICE.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUDES 300 MILLION, UH, IN ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS FOR A NEW PROGRAM THAT'S MANAGED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL FOR DISPLACEMENT THAT MIGHT RESULT FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PLAN.
SO PROJECT CONNECT IS INTENDED TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY A PARTNERSHIP OF THREE ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, ONE OF THOSE IS AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS WHERE I WORK.
UH, AND ATP WAS CREATED AFTER THE VOTE PASSED IN 2020.
UM, ATP WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AS WELL AS FUTURE COMMUTER RAIL, UM, AND ASSOCIATED FACILITIES, CAT METRO, UM, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE BUS PROJECTS, UH, FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXISTING RED LINE, UH, AND EXPANDING PICKUP SERVICE.
UH, AND ALSO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A THIRD PARTNER.
UH, WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, UH, WITH THE CITY ON THE LEAD FOR PERMITTING COORDINATION FOR RIGHT OF WAY UTILITIES, UH, TRAFFIC, UH, BUT ALSO MANAGING THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS THAT ARE PART OF THE PROGRAM.
SO ALTHOUGH, UM, I MEAN THE VOTE JUST PASSED LESS THAN TWO YEARS AGO, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN EX EXPANSIONS TO CIRCULATOR PICKUP ZONES, AND THERE HAVE BEEN THREE GROUNDBREAKINGS.
UM, SO TWO, UM, STATIONS FOR TWO BUS ROUTES ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND ALSO THE MCCULLOUGH STATION, WHICH WOULD BE A NEW STATION SERVING, UH, AUSTIN FC STADIUM IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.
UH, FAIRLY RECENTLY, THE METRO BIKE PROGRAM WAS INCORPORATED INTO CAT METRO, WHICH WILL JUST FURTHER ENHANCE OUR ABILITIES TO ALLOW FOR SEAMLESS, YOU KNOW, CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ALL DIFFERENT MODES.
UM, AND CAT METRO IS CONTINUING, UH, THE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE OVERALL BUS FLEET.
UM, NEW METRO RAPID SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD BE, UH, BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES ON THE LIGHT RAIL SIDE.
WE'RE PRETTY EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
WE'RE STILL IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT DOING PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS SLIDE HERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS REALLY USING TERMINOLOGY FROM THE FEDERAL PROCESS.
UH, SINCE WE ARE WORKING WITH, UH, THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO PURSUE, UH, FEDERAL GRANTS FOR CAPITAL FUNDING, UH, WE'RE VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
UM, UH, AFTER WE REALLY FULLY DEVELOP AND DEFINE THE PROJECT, WE'LL BE MOVING INTO ENGINEERING AND ULTIMATELY CONSTRUCTION.
AND, UH, SO AGAIN, WE'RE PRETTY EARLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT IS, UH, IS A CHANGE IN CAPITAL COST.
WE'VE BEEN JUST LOOKING AT THE TRENDS AND HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THOSE TRENDS ARE SHOWING IN UPWARD TRAJECTORY.
UH, SO, UH, WE JUST SPOKE WITH OUR BOARD, THE ATP BOARD BACK IN JULY.
UM, AND SINCE THAT TIME HAVE BEEN REALLY TAKING A HARD LOOK AT THIS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE DEFINING THE PROJECT IN A WAY THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY AFFORD AND THAT STILL MEETS ALL THE OBJECTIVES WE HAVE, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO AMONG THE DRIVERS, UH, FOR COST AT THIS POINT, ONE OF THEM CERTAINLY IS RIGHT OF WAY AN INCREASING COST RELATED TO THAT.
UH, BUT ALSO INFLATION IMPACTS OUR, OUR COST PROJECTIONS AND ALSO THINGS LIKE, UH, LABOR SUPPLY, SUPPLY CHAIN.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTING INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT IMMUNE TO THAT.
UH, IN ADDITION, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SCOPE CHANGES OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, WHILE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
UM, AND SO WE'RE JUST TAKING A REAL HARD LOOK AT THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY REALLY INTO 2023, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNED AS FAR AS HOW WE'RE DEFINING
[01:30:01]
THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS AND THAT IT MEETS, UH, OUR COST CONSTRAINTS AND ALSO OUR OBJECTIVES.UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL BE DOING AS PART OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM IS, UM, UH, WORKING THROUGH THE NPA PROCESS, UH, BECAUSE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE BEING PURSUED.
UM, THIS IS AMONG, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, FEDERAL STATUTES THAT WE'LL BE COMPLYING WITH, UM, UNDER NPA.
UM, REALLY THE PURPOSE OF NEPA IS TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, BENEFICIAL OR ADVERSE IMPACTS, UH, ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT COULD RESULT FROM THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF, OF THESE PROJECTS.
A COUPLE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT COME OUT OF NEPA ONE IS THAT THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AND THROUGH A COMMUNITY PROCESS, THERE ARE MITIGATION COMMITMENTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED.
UM, AND THESE ARE, UM, COMMITTED TO, AS PART OF THE DECISION DOCUMENT THAT THAT CONCLUDES THE NPA PROCESS.
AND, UH, WE AS THE MANAGERS OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS AND, AND FUTURE OPERATIONS WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, MEETING THOSE MITIGATION COMMITMENTS.
UM, ANOTHER KEY CONSIDERATION ABOUT NPA IS THAT IT IS VERY MUCH A PUBLIC DRIVEN PROCESS.
UM, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THERE'S, UH, MEANINGFUL INPUT AT THE RIGHT TIMES FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE ANALYSIS, WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MITIGATION, UM, WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND HAVE INPUT ON THAT, UM, PRIOR TO MAKING THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF MITIGATION COMMITMENTS.
I THINK THAT THAT'S MY LAST SLIDE, BUT I'M GONNA PASS IT BACK TO, TO DONNA.
SO THIS IS THE LARGEST RETROFITTING OF RIGHT OF WAY THE CITY HAS EVER UNDERTAKEN.
WE KNOW THAT THE CITY'S CODE AND CRITERIA WHICH FOCUS DEVELOP, WHICH FOCUS DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ON VERTICAL SITE SPECIFIC PROJECTS WERE NOT WRITTEN TO ACCOMMODATE A PROJECT OF THIS SCALE.
THIS IS A ONCE IN A GENERATION PROGRAM THAT BENEFITS A NUMBER OF COUNCIL ADOPTED POLICIES AND PLANS SUCH AS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, INCLUDING CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN GOALS, SUPPORTING THE A S M P MODE, SHIFT GOALS, HEALTH AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, TRANSFORMING THE TRANSIT NETWORK AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES.
THE ENO CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION IS A THINK TANK THAT DID A REPORT ON WHY NORTH AMERICAN TRANSIT PROJECTS TAKE LONGER AND COST MORE THAN THOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
THE 2021 ENO REPORT SITES SEVERAL CASE STUDIES DEMONSTRATING THAT AUSTIN IS NOT ALONE IN HAVING A CODE RELATED OBSTACLE.
THE REPORT IDENTIFIED LOCAL RE REGULATION, PERMITTING, AND DECISION MAKING PROCEDURES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AS AN OBSTACLE TO ACHIEVING VIABLE COST EFFECTIVE TRANSIT SYSTEMS ON PAR WITH THOSE OF PEER PEER NATIONS.
IN OCTOBER OF 2021, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO SCAN CODE CRITERIA AND PROCESSES LOOKING FOR OBSTACLES TO EFFICIENT IMPLEMENTATION AND PERMITTING OF PROJECT CONNECT THE RESOLUTION SITES, THE CITY'S MOBILITY PLAN, THE VOTER REFERENDUM PROJECT CONNECT, THE UNIT REPORT, AND THE KNOWN DIFFICULTIES OF AUSTIN'S CODES AND ORDINANCES.
IN IMPLEMENTING A LINEAR PROJECT, COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE FOR PUBLIC MOBILITY PROJECTS IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, AND PROJECT CONNECT WILL BENEFIT FROM THAT ORDINANCE.
THIS RESOLUTION PROVIDES FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE OBSTACLES WE KNOW TODAY PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE STAFF HAVE SCANNED CODE AND CRITERIA GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
WE HAVE A DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR PROJECT CONNECT REGULATIONS AND PROCESSES THAT WILL BENEFIT THE PROGRAM AS IT PROCEEDS.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSIT, AND HEALTH AND SAFETY BENEFITS OF LIGHT RAIL IN A WAY THAT IS INCLUSIVE AND RESPECTFUL OF THE COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S RESOURCES, AND ENSURE THAT WE DON'T GET IN OUR OWN WAY AS WE IMPLEMENT PROJECT CONNECT.
OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS WRITTEN FOR SINGLE LOT DEVELOPMENT.
IT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD USE OF RESOURCES TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF SITE PLANS FOR PERMITTING MILES OF RAIL.
THIS ORDINANCE IS OUR FIRST STEP.
THE FOUNDATIONAL ORDINANCE HAS FIVE MAIN COMPONENTS, STRUCTURE, CONSTRUCTION, NOISE AND MITIGATION PLAN, ADJUSTMENTS TO SITE PLAN USES AND FISCAL.
THIS ORDINANCE IS A STANDALONE REGULATORY INSTRUMENT SO THAT WHEN CONSTRUCTION PLANS COME IN FOR REVIEW, BOTH THE APPLICANT AND THE REVIEWER CAN GO TO ONE PLACE FOR ANY REGULATIONS OR STANDARDS FOR TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECTS.
THIS ORDINANCE DEFINES TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECT AS A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT, GENERALLY DEPICTED ON EXHIBIT A, WHICH IS THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM MAP WITH ANY RELATED APPEARANCES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED, LIMITED TO A RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSIT LINE, RAIL STATION, OR A TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL FUNDED BY A PUBLIC ENTITY.
WE KNOW THAT AS PART OF THE NEPA PROCESS, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP HAS TO IDENTIFY MITIGATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION NOISE AND WE KNOW THAT THOSE MITIGATIONS ARE BINDING.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE FTA RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES, WE REALIZE THAT MANY OF THOSE STANDARDS START WHERE THE CITY'S ESCALATION OF NOISE COMPLAINTS ARE, SUCH AS REGULAR MONITORING OF CONSTRUCTION NOISE LEVELS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE THE CITY REQUIRES MONITORING.
AFTER A NUMBER OF VALID COMPLAINTS, WE WILL REQUIRE MONITORING AS A STANDARD.
THEREFORE, WITH THIS ORDINANCE, WE ARE REQUIRING THAT THE MITIGATION PLAN INCLUDE FDA'S RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES.
[01:35:01]
THE NOISE MITIGATION PLAN CONSISTS OF THREE MAIN COMPONENTS, THE NOISE MITIGATION AND MONITORING PLAN THAT IS IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE NPA ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND SUBMITTED TO THE FTA ATP WILL SUBMIT THEIR PLAN REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTORS SPECIFIC NOISE PLANS THAT ADDRESS MITIGATION FOR THEIR SPECIFIC CONSTRUCTION, AND IT WILL INCLUDE A COMMUNICATION PLAN WITH PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFICATION AND MONITORING FOR, UH, THE PERMITTING PROCESS.THE, YOU KNOW, A SITE PLAN CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS, A LAND USE ELEMENT AND A CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT.
AND IN MOST CASES, WHAT'S SUBMITTED IS THOSE TWO PIECES TOGETHER AS A CONSOLIDATED SITE PLAN.
THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE HAS A SECTION CALLED FAST TRACK, WHICH IS A BIT OF A MISNOMER.
THERE'S NOTHING REALLY FAST ABOUT IT.
IT'S ABOUT A LAYERED REVIEW AND PERMITTING.
UM, SO IN EXISTING CODE, MAYBE FOR A GAS STATION, YOUR FIRST LAYER OF REVIEW AND PERMITTING WOULD BE DIGGING THE HOLE FOR, UM, THE UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK.
AND THE NEXT LAYER BEING THE BUILDING.
THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE HAS A CONSTRAINT THAT REQUIRES IN ORDER TO HAVE BE PART OF THAT FAST TRACK OR RATHER LAYERED REVIEW AND PERMITTING, IT REQUIRES THAT THERE IS A BUILDING WITHIN THE SITE PLAN.
THERE COULD BE, UM, FOR A PROJECT CONNECT, MAYBE A STRETCH OF RAIL THAT IS IN A SITE PLAN THAT DOESN'T HAVE A BUILDING ON IT, BUT YET WE STILL WANNA ALLOW THAT SITE PLAN TO HAVE THE LAYERED REVIEW AND PERMITTING.
MAYBE THE FIRST LAYER IS RELOCATING UTILITIES AND THE SECOND LA, YOU KNOW, AND THE NEXT LAYER WOULD BE RAIL, UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND THEN ALSO THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW FOR VARIANCES TO BE PROCESSED WITH THE FIRST LAYER OF REVIEW RATHER THAN NOT ALLOWING THE LAYERED REVIEW AT ALL.
UM, IT ENSURES THAT PHASES CAN BE SUBMITTED AS UPDATES TO APPLICATIONS RATHER THAN REVISIONS TO PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PLANS THAT WILL SAVE, UM, TIME AND, AND, AND MONEY ON BOTH, UM, THE REVIEW AND APPLICANT SIDE AND EXTEND THE LIFE OF SITE PLAN TO 10 YEARS.
THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DEFINES USES WITHIN USE CATEGORIES ALONG WITH EXAMPLES.
BECAUSE THIS IS OUR FIRST LIGHT RAIL PROJECT, THERE IS EQUIPMENT THE CITY HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN, AND WITH THIS ORDINANCE, WE ARE DEFINING THE USE SO THERE WILL BE PREDICTABILITY ON BOTH THE APPLICANT AND REVIEWER SIDE.
THE FIRST TRANSIT SYSTEM USE TO ESTABLISH IS THAT ATTRACTION POWERED SUBSTATION IS A LOCAL UTILITY SERVICE, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS THE WORD SUBSTATION IN IT.
THESE ARE NOT GIANT OPEN SUBSTATIONS LIKE YOU SEE AT C HOME, UM, THAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS A MAJOR UTILITY USE.
A TRANSIT POWERED SUBSTATION IS MUCH SMALLER AND ENCLOSED AS YOU SEE IN THE PICTURES.
AND WE'VE WORKED WITH THE ZONING STAFF IN HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY AGREE THAT A, A TPSS WHERE IT TO BE SUBMITTED TODAY IS A TRACTION POWERED SUBSTATION.
BY PUTTING THIS IN THE ORDINANCE, UM, WE MAKE THE PERMITTING PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT OVER TIME.
THE SECOND IS THE ORDINANCE WILL STATE THAT A MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR LIGHT RAIL FALLS WITHIN THE CIVIC USE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE FACILITY, WHICH IS OPPOSED TO A RAILROAD FACILITY USE.
A RAILROAD FACILITY USE IS A MUCH MORE INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY ALLOWED IN INDUSTRIAL ZONES AND INTENDED FOR THINGS LIKE FREIGHT YARDS.
THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR THE RED LINE WAS PERMITTED IN 2003 AS A MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE FACILITY USE.
SO THIS ISN'T A NEW USE DETERMINATION.
UM, WE'RE JUST TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH THE USE IN THIS ORDINANCE TO MAKE REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION EASIER SO THAT DOWN THE LINE REVIEWERS DON'T HAVE TO DO THE RESEARCH TO SEE THAT THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE FACILITY, UM, FOR THE RED LINE WAS PERMITTED AS A MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE FACILITY.
USE THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE ORDINANCE APPROVED IN MAY OF THIS YEAR EXEMPTED PUBLIC MOBILITY PROJECTS INSIDE THE RIGHT OF WAY FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO POST FISCAL.
THIS ORDINANCE EXTENDS THAT FISCAL EXEMPTION TO TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR THINGS SUCH AS PARK AND RIDES.
AND THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF WHEN WE MIGHT VISIT, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OVER TIME, SUCH AS TO FULFILL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS IF WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE LIKE WE DO TODAY, OR IF THERE ARE VARIANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION.
UM, ALSO SUBS SUBJECT SPECIFIC PRESENTATIONS LIKE DURING THE NPA, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT TIME AND ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE PROGRAM UPDATES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WE ARE HERE AS PART OF THE, UM, ANNUAL PROGRAM UPDATE AS WELL AS AN ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, COMMISSIONERS.
[01:40:02]
COMMISSIONER GREENBERG? UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, SO YOU WON'T HAVE TO CALL ON ME AGAIN, UM, THAT MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION CAN WAIT TIL NOVEMBER.
UM, THE METRO RAPID PROJECT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, WHICH WAS THE 8 0 1 AND THE 8 0 3 LINES WAS UNDER BUDGET AND ON TIME DID METRO RAPID GET DELAYED IN ANY WAY THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AMELIORATED BY THIS ORDINANCE? I'M SORRY, LET ME SEE IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
IT, IT DELAYS, WELL, IT WAS ON TIME, SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY, UM, JUST TRANSIT LINES IN GENERAL ARE BEING INCLUDED IN THIS ORDINANCE WHEN THAT WAS JUST TRANSIT LINES AND IT WAS ON TIME.
UM, OVERALL, MOST OF THE, THE MEAT OF THIS ORDINANCE REALLY ONLY AFFECTS RAIL, AND THAT'S WHY EACH OF THE SPECIFIC SECTIONS IDENTIFY RAIL.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH THE, THE FISCAL, UM, POSTING, YOU KNOW, WOULD APPLY TO THINGS SUCH AS PARK AND RIDES, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THAT TAKES SOME ADMINISTRATIVE TIME TO PROCESS AND FISCAL POSTING IS AN, IS A MONEY THAT, IT'S A, IT'S AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE CITY HOLDS UNTIL THE PROJECT IS DONE AND THEN GIVES IT BACK.
UM, IT'S HELD IN CASE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A DEVELOPER, UM, YOU KNOW, DUG UP THE EARTH AND LEFT THE CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY TO PUT THE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO FIX THE, THE GROUND AND PUT IT BACK HOW IT WAS.
UM, AND SO THAT, UM, SORRY, THAT, UM, THE FISCAL, THE FISCAL POSTING WOULD, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY SAVE TIME FOR JUST ADMINISTRATIVE TIME OF, OF PROCESSING THAT, UM, FOR ANY ANY PROJECT.
AND THEN THE, UM, DEFINITIONS, PART FOUR A DEFINES, UM, A TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECT WITH LANGUAGE THAT SAYS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A RAIL OR PUBLIC TRANSIT LINE, RAIL STATION OR TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL.
AND THAT SORT OF IS WHAT MAKES ME NERVOUS ABOUT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO.
AND I'M LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING THAT THEY'RE NOT NAMING? UM, SO THAT'S JUST A COMMENT OR CONCERN THAT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED KIND OF LANGUAGE.
UM, WHAT WE HAD IN MIND WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, THE TRANSIT POWERED SUBSTATION THAT I SHOWED YOU A PICTURE OF OR, UM, ELECTRICAL BOXES THAT ARE NEEDED TO RUN THE RAIL.
SO A PERTS, UM, UM, SUCH AS THAT THE CATENARY SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE ELECTRICAL LINES THAT THE ELECTRIC TRAINING WOULD USE.
I A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH LANGUAGE THAT DOESN'T SAY INCLUDED, BUT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, UM, BECAUSE THEN YOU THINK OF WHAT THE HECK COULD IT BE? AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, ARE THERE ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT WILL BE WAIVED AS A RESULT OF THIS ORDINANCE? NO.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF COMMENTS? THE BOARD, I'M IN HERE IN TV LAND, OH, SORRY,
ACTUALLY FOLLOWING ON COMMISSIONER GREENBERG'S QUESTION BECAUSE I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THAT TOO, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT THERE IS FEDERAL FUNDING THAT IS FOR SIDEWALKS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO PUBLIC TRANSIT PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I KNOW AUSTIN HAS USED THIS, THAT YOU CAN GET SIDEWALK UM, FUNDING FOR, FROM THE GOVERNMENT FOR, UM, SIDEWALKS THAT ARE, THAT LEAD TO BUS STOPS.
SO I READ THAT AND I, THAT I THOUGHT, OKAY, THEN THIS IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPEN-ENDED REQUEST.
BUT I ACTUALLY ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ISSUE OF WHY IT'S, IT'S SO EXPENSIVE TO BUILD IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND FIRST I'D SAY THAT THE REPORT, THE ENO REPORT DOES TOUCH ON THAT, BUT IT
[01:45:01]
ALSO TOUCHES ON, ON COMPLEX.IT DOESN'T EVEN REALLY TOUCH, IT'S NOT A HIGHLIGHT FOR THEM, BUT THE BIG THING THAT THEY SAY, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, THERE'S MANY LAYERS TO IT, AND I THINK THAT THIS, YOU JUST OVERSIMPLIFIED THE ENO REPORT.
THE REASON IS IS ALSO BECAUSE WE DON'T BUILD THAT MUCH TRANSIT HERE AND EVERYBODY'S DOING, IT'S NOT COOKIE CUTTER.
EVERYBODY HAS TO, EVERY SYSTEM HAS TO MAKE UP IT AS THEY GO.
AND I REMEMBER TALKING TO PREVIOUS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THIS TOO, BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, YEAH, THEY HAD ALL THESE IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO DO IT, AND NOBODY IS REALLY HAPPY WITH DOING LIKE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
SO I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.
I'M REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS AND I THINK IT'S JUST PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS ISN'T EVEN 30% ENGINEERED.
AND BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UM, HAS BEEN, UH, TEMPORARILY POSTPONED AND THERE'S STILL NOT CLARITY ON WHERE STATIONS ARE GOING TO BE LOCATED AND WHERE THE ROUTE IS.
AND I JUST DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM.
AS COMMISSIONER GREENBERG POINTED OUT, I DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE.
SO IN RESPONSE TO COUNCIL'S, UH, DIRECTION THROUGH THE RESOLUTION, WE WANTED TO IDENTIFY WHAT WE, BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
AND SO WHAT WE KNOW TO, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT REGARDLESS OF ANY OF THE UNKNOWNS, WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE HELPFUL.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE SMALL CHANGES IN THE SITE PLAN, UM, SECTION OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE ENABLE US TO NOW WORK WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFF AND REALLY GET INTO INSTRUC, YOU KNOW, INTO THE WEEDS AND CREATE AN INSTRUCTIONAL APPLICATION GUIDEBOOK SO THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW THE VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO APPLY FOR THESE THINGS, UM, IS IN PLACE BY THE TIME THAT THEY'RE READY FOR, FOR APPLICATION.
AND, AND WE, AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT, UM, AS THE EIS IS AND THE, AND THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PLAN IS DEVELOPED, UM, WE KNOW THAT WE WANT THOSE FTA BEST PRACTICES INCLUDED.
WE KNOW THAT THE CITY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ARE INCLUDED IN THE MITIGATION PLAN.
AND SO NOW IS A, IS A GOOD TIME FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, STAY UP FRONT.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR AS THAT TIME DRAWS NEAR OR CHAIR, THIS IS COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
I'D LOVE TO CHECK MY UNDERSTANDING.
JUST, UM, IF I COULD, SO THIS RESOLUTION WOULD BASICALLY CREATE SORT OF THE, THE, UM, COVER OF THE BOOK AS AND CREATE A SPACE FOR COMING BACK AND IDENTIFYING THE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS OR PERMIT PROCESSES THAT WOULD BE EXACTLY ANYTHING THAT THIS DOESN'T, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF REGULATORY CHANGE HERE.
UM, THE, THE LARGEST PIECE OF REGULATORY CHANGE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OPENING THAT SITE PLAN REQUIREMENT TO ENABLE US TO, TO, UM, TO WORK ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS WITH, WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, IT IS A FOUNDATIONAL ORDINANCE.
IT'S A PLACE TO PUT ANYTHING SO THAT AS DESIGN AND SCOPE PROGRESSES, IF THERE IS AN, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT, UM, MAYBE ON A PROGRAM-WIDE SCALE, UM, NEED TO BE COORDINATED WITH DEPARTMENTS.
AND IF AN ORDINANCE, IF AN ORDINANCE WAS NEEDED, WE WOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PLACE THAT IT WOULD GO.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE WOULD COME BACK THROUGH, UM, ALL OF OUR THAT WAS A QUESTION.
SO THE PROCESS FOR ADDING THE SPECIFIC, UM, ELEMENTS, UH, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE? YOU'D BE GOING THROUGH ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AGAIN FOR EACH ELEMENT THAT YOU WOULD ADD? YES, YES.
IT, IT WOULD BE AN ORDINANCE, RIGHT? ANY, ANY CHANGE TO ANY ORDINANCE AMENDMENT WOULD GO BACK THROUGH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND I, I GUESS ANOTHER FOLLOW UP, HOW IS IT THAT NO ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE LOST? I MEAN, ISN'T THAT THE POINT TO STREAMLINE IS THAT YOU TAKE AWAY THAT INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR PARTICULAR, THIS DOESN'T CHANGE ANY, ANY OF THOSE.
SO, UM, LET'S SAY THERE WAS A PARK AND RIDE IN P ZONING.
AND P ZONING REQUIRES A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
[01:50:01]
WOULD REQUIRE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.UM, IF THIS PARK AND RIDE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BUILDINGS, UM, THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT LAYERED REVIEW.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THE LAYERED REVIEW, BUT IT WOULDN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, KICK THEM OUT OF THE LAYERED REVIEW OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST SAY, UM, I OBJECT TO SOME OF THE LANGUAGE AND HERE, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY BROAD AND SWEEPING LANGUAGE ABOUT REGULATIONS AND PERMITTING BEING THE ISSUES AND, UM, HIGHLIGHTING SORT OF ONLY SOME ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF THIS WORK AND NOT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT, THE LANGUAGE IS, IS PRETTY BIASED.
AND THOSE, THOSE REGULATIONS AND PER SOME, I'M SURE REGULATIONS AND PERMITS EXIST FOR SAFEGUARD SAFEGUARDS FOR MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST, I, I REACTED TO THE LANGUAGE OF THIS.
I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, BUT, UM, IT, IT DOES FEEL A LITTLE HEAVY HANDED MY COMMENTS.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER KING? MM-HMM.
AND FOLLOWING UP WITH COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, UM, AND KA BOSSA CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE WORDING IN THE, AND THE SCOPE OF THIS RESOLUTION.
YOU KNOW, I FIND IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE STAFF EXPLAIN THIS, YOU KNOW, AND, BUT, BUT I DO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A LAYERED APPROACH AND, YOU KNOW, AND I LOOK AT THIS, I CAN SEE THAT THE, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SPEED THINGS UP, GET THINGS THROUGH THE PROCESS FASTER, THAT THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, AND THEN LOOSEN UP THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR SITE PLAN EXPIRATION AND UPDATES.
MAKE IT EASIER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO, SO, UH, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S MORE ADMINISTRATIVE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BEHIND THE SCENES, UH, DECISION MAKING AND PROCESSING GOING ON VERSUS PUBLIC FACING, UH, INTERACTIONS.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT, HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT? SURE.
UM, ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES ANYTHING THAT'S ADMINISTRATIVELY DONE TODAY WOULD STILL BE ADMINISTRATIVELY DONE.
UM, SO, AND, AND ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UM, SO I MEAN, EVEN EVEN AN ADMINISTRATIVE SITE PLAN, YOU KNOW, GETS PUBLIC NOTICE.
SO THOSE SITE PLANS WOULD STILL GET PUBLIC NOTICE.
ANYTHING THAT'S GETTING A VARIANCE.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
AND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, DO WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE ANY ACTION DENIED ON THIS? I THINK THAT WAS THE POINT.
AND COULD, COULD THIS BE SOMETHING WE CAN DO ON, THIS IS A PRETTY, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SERIOUS CHANGE RIGHT HERE.
IT'S SORT OF THE FRAMEWORK THAT SETS THE REST OF THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AS WE GO FORWARD HERE.
SO I DO THINK IT DOES TAKE, IT DOES DESERVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR THE COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND.
SO I, I COULD SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, HAVING US THINK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE, MAYBE COMING BACK AND, AND MAKING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS LATER ON.
UM, REPRESENTING THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY ALL ALONG
FOR EXAMPLE, AND WHEN I GO GET A PERMIT, I'VE GOTTA GO MEET WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL AND I SHOWED HIM ONE COMPONENT OF THE SITE PLAN AND THEN I GO MEET WITH AUSTIN WATER AND SHOW THEM ONE COMPONENT AND THEN I GO MEET WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND SHOW THEM ONE PART.
WHAT THIS DOES, IT SAYS ALL THOSE GROUPS COME TOGETHER AND THEY ALL LOOK GET AT ONE TIME AND I GET ALL MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AT ONCE.
WHAT YOU'RE LAYING OUT IS JUST A VERY SIMPLE PROCESS.
THERE'S NOTHING COMPLICATED IN THIS.
UM, POSTING FISCAL IS A NO-BRAINER.
WHY WOULD THE CITY POST FISCAL FOR ITSELF? UM, THEY'RE GONNA PERFORM, THEY'RE THE ONES COMMITTING TO PERFORM, UM, SITE PLAN EXPIRATION.
THEY NEED LONGER EXPIRATION DATES.
THEY'RE GONNA BE PHASED PROJECTS THEY NEED LONGER PHASING.
I MEAN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE JUST FUNDAMENTAL SIMPLE.
NOT CHANGING THE SCOPE, NOT CHANGING THE INPUT, NOT CHANGING ANYTHING, BUT THEY'RE NEEDED AT THIS POINT IN TIME CUZ YOU'RE GETTING READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PROJECTS.
THAT'S MY 2 CENTS WORTH COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS IN TV LAND? MAYBE.
WHEN DOES THIS GO TO CITY COUNCIL? UM, WHERE OUR SUGGESTED DATE AND TIME IS DECEMBER 1ST.
CHAIR COMMISSIONER A COSTA'S TRYING TO, UH, ALRIGHT, LET'S, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER ACOSTA IS HERE.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ARE YOU MUTED? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU
[01:55:02]
LET'S GIVE THEM ABOUT 30 MORE SECONDS.AND IF WE CAN'T CONNECT WE NEED TO MOVE ON.
YOU'RE SAYING CHAIR COMMISSION LAYS ON ANDREW? UH, IT'S THE COMMISSIONER WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE HIS SETTINGS ON HIS END.
I'M NOT SURE YOU EVEN HEARD IT.
UM, TO HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR SETTINGS.
CAN I SPEAK UP HERE AND JUST SAY, UM, THIS SEEMS LIKE AN, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, LET'S THINK ABOUT IT.
COMMISSIONER COSTA CAN CHANGE HIS SETTINGS AND WE CAN COME BACK AND DISCUSS THIS AT OUR NEXT MEETING, BUT I DO WANT TO HEAR WHAT'S COMMISSIONER COSTA CAN SAY NOW IF HE, IF HE CAN DO SO, BUT THAT THERE WILL BE, THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THINK AND TO MAYBE, UM, GO OVER COMMISSIONER KING'S UM, RESOLUTION CUZ IT'S A LOT TO THINK ABOUT.
COMMISSIONER COSTA CAN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN'T GET YOU.
I HAVE TO ADMIT I WOULD LOVE TO POSTPONE DISCUSSION UNTIL NEXT MEETING TOO.
I DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ COMMISSIONER KING'S.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION ON HOW TO HANDLE THIS? COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, I MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE THIS DISCUSSION UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
AND I CAN'T SEE TV, LAND, ALL THE THOMAS, I'M A, A COSTA WHO CAN'T HEAR
LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SIX ACCORDING TO MR. SMITH.
ANY ABSTENTIONS MR. A COSTA IS A NO.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF MINOR COMMENTS ON KING'S DEAL, BUT I WILL GET WITH HIM DIRECTLY ON THAT, SO SOUNDS APPROPRIATE.
THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS COMMENTS? I'VE NEGLECTED TO CHECK ON THAT AGAIN.
I THINK THERE WAS NO ONE WANTED TO PREVIOUSLY.
KAREN, YOU READY? CHAIR? OH, OUR NEXT MEETING.
I JUST WANNA CONFIRM OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON NOVEMBER THE FIRST.
D I DIDN'T KNOW SOME WORTHLESS
WE DON'T HAVE TO COME IN CUSTOM.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET THE, THE VOTE.
I THINK THERE WAS A COST WAS NO.
AND WAS THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS VOTING ON THAT OF NO.
OKAY, SO WOULD THE VOTE WAS SIX TO ONE? YES, SIR.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ON THIS ITEM.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA, ITEMS, ANYTHING LOOKING OUT? I DON'T SEE ANY COMMITTEE BEFORE.CHECK CHECKING IN ON THE WATERSHED BRIEFINGS.
I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN BUSY WITH THEIR AIR CHANGES, BUT ANDREW, ANY, ANY NEWS CHAIR, COMMISSION LADIES ON ANDREA? UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A, UH, STATUS AT THIS TIME.
UH, BUT IT IS, UH, THEY ARE AWARE OF THE UH, UH, REQUESTED PRESENTATION.
DO YOU, DID THEY GIVE A SCHEDULE FOR WHEN THEY WERE GONNA COME? I MEAN THIS HAS BEEN KIND OF RIDICULOUS.
10 MONTHS, I DON'T KNOW,
THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO ASK MR. THOMPSON.
CAUSE I THINK IT'S I AS WELL AND I THINK THEY'RE DOING A WATERSHED PLAN.
THEY HAVE A NEW PLAN SO IT'D BE INTERESTING TO GET A BRIEFING ON THAT, UM, AS WELL.
SO MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
[COMMITTEE REPORTS & WORKING GROUPS]
AND ORDINANCES UM, GROUP IS MEETING TOMORROW.WE HAVE A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS ON THE AGENDA.
THERE IS A PODD, BRODY OAKS PODD AND A COMPATIBILITY ITEM AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT ELSE, BUT THERE'S AT LEAST THOSE TWO.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE WE DID NOT MEET FOR LACK OF A QUORUM.
SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE WE'RE MEETING TOMORROW AS WELL.
AND THE TOPIC IS THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN? OH YES, THERE'S A SURVEY.
IS THE SURVEY STILL OPEN? I DON'T KNOW.
ONION CREEK AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WORKING GROUP.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR THE GOOD DISCUSSION.
[02:00:40]
IT'S ALL BEEN RAM LA'S.